The Greatest Grail War
by Iridiscence
Summary: In place of the Triwizard Tournament, a Holy Grail is set up instead. Once again, the wheels of fate are spinning, as the participants and everyone around them confront their true destiny. In the midst all this, a young girl wishes for a miracle... (Uses material from all over the Fate Series) !FemHarry
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello there, this is my very first fanfiction. It is a crossover between the Fate series (Not just 1 anime or game, the entire franchise is included as there are servants from all over the franchise in this fanfiction. There are even some original Heroic Spirits.) and the Harry Potter Universe. Please do review, I believe that constructive feedback is a great way to improve my writing. Thank you and hope you enjoy the fanfiction.**

Pain.

She had only known pain. Perhaps despair too, but she was not sure if she felt it any longer. But she was certainly feeling something akin to it now. In the pitch-dark world, an invasive shade of orange perverted the warm glows of cerulean and white. She could hear his greasy voice, smell his oily scent. As she tried to back up further, her back hit an immovable object that refused to give way no matter how much she pleaded for it to. She held out her arms in desperation, trying her utmost to shove the orange away. However, how could she possibly be the match for the cream of the crop of Smelting's Boxing team in terms of strength. Her resistance only served to spur him on. Soon, he was upon her, tearing off her modesty, yanking apart her limbs, robbing her of the last shred of pride and dignity she had left. The orange was all she could see. Suddenly, the assault stopped, granting her a brief reprieve and a tiny bit of hope that her torture would end, for this day. To her horror, the unbuckling of a belt and the sound of fabric being pulled down reached her ears.

As the final remnant of her childhood was seconds away from being torn away, she wished. For someone, for something, to protect her, forever and ever. For an eternal companion, friend and love. She did not want to suffer any longer. Then, she waited with bated breath, hoping that the heavens that were her only source of solace would answer her this time. Then, it did.

Orange was yanked from her, and seemingly flew away from her, landing with an audible thud. Unbeknownst to her, tears had begun to fall. Was it fear finally catching up to her, or was it relief, not even she knew. Then, she stiffened. In the place of the repulsive orange stood the most brilliant light she had ever witnessed, glowing a luminescent golden that seemingly demanded the attention and adoration of all around him. Yet, it was so very cold…

He blinked, roused from his slumber by a plead. Surely, this was just another mongrel's foolish wish that did not deserve to reach him, but had due to this accursed grail. Do they never learn, these worthless beings that defiled his garden? They say that stupidity cannot be cured, yet never seemed to realise that they were only describing themselves. These beings did not deserve his attention, much less his presence. He was about to dismiss the plead and go back to his eternal sleep, until, he felt a significant pull on him. Before he could react, he was pulled across the boundary that separated the Throne of Heroes from the physical world. He was intrigued now. Never had something been so powerful that it pulled his entire being into existence without his consent. He glanced around. It was more akin to a pig sty than any residence that a respectable subject of his would live in. That was when he noticed the two figures that moved about in the dark. The larger one was pinning the smaller one to the wall and seemingly about to succumb to his primal urges. He sneered, the ones that had summoned him were clearly the equals of beasts and wild animals, perhaps even worse. At least wild animals gave him attention when he was in their presence.

Then, he realised something. The smaller figure was trying desperately to resist, although she was clearly out matched and was on the throes of defeat. Frowning, he walked up and yanked the larger figure up and threw him across the room, not even bothering to check if he was alive when he landed. Instead, he turned his attention to the smaller human. A pair of iridescent orbs met his gaze. No… it cannot be. Then, he laughed.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha"

Finally, the grail did something right, amidst all of its corruption, perhaps it still held a shred of sanity, perhaps it was the omnipotent wish granting device that they said it was. After all, not even the Gods could prevent this meeting, no, this reunion orchestrated by the grail. Joy filled him, and his heart, after 5 millenniums of stillness, started beating again. Gaia's child was before him once again; and this time, he would never let her go again, no matter who decreed so. He would battle and vanquish even the Gods if he had to, all for her. Then, he noticed something very wrong. Those once glittering jewels that filled his days with everything he could desire were now lifeless and glassy, only a slight hint of the glory they once shone with was present in them. She was thin, bare skin and bones, only a flicker of the power she had radiated with in her past was present, and even that flicker had not been spared. Someone had bound it. Scrutinizing her further, he realized that while in essence her and her past self were the same, the circumstances due to the age they were born in were very different. In this age, the Gods no longer held sway over Alaya and her children. Unfortunately, someone had to pay the price, and it was her again, who suffered for his actions of rejecting the Gods and affirming humanity. Humanity for all its potential, can be incredibly cruel if it wished to be. As the child of Gaia no longer had any protection from the Gods, due to their inability to directly influence the physical world, the children of Alaya were free to abuse her. Guilt coursed through him. However, it was only for a moment before a red haze filled his vision.

How dare they. HOW DARE THEY!

The larger figure seemed to have recovered from the shock of hitting the ground and stood up with an indignant gaze. With a final wave of his hand, he put her to sleep and sent her into his Golden Capital. It would not be prudent for her to see this, she would certainly chide him later if she did. Then, he swept his judging gaze onto the larger figure. A slight twinge of pleasure ran through him as he saw him tremble in fear and terror.

"Mongrel, do you know of the laws of my kingdom?"

"Who the ruddy hell are you? How dare you trespass into my room!" Despite his apparent fear, the boy yelled at the Golden One. Clearly, he did not realise his dire situation.

"Did you know, barking at the King like the rabid dog you are constitutes a death penalty?"

"How dare you!" The boy stepped forward and launched a fist towards him. To his shock, the Golden One caught the fist in mid-air. Then, he twisted. The shattering and breaking of bone could be heard over the sounds of the night. The boy shouted in pain, but then was reduced to a whimper as the icy gaze of the Golden One once again swept to him.

"You have already committed something way more heinous than attacking me, and you shall receive judgement for that. By the time I am finished, you will be begging for the sweet release of death." As he finished, a golden portal opened. It remained there for a moment before closing and vanishing. The Golden One held a jar in his hand. He then walked to the cowering boy and forced his mouth open before pouring the contents on the jar into the boy's maw. His screams would be music to his ears. Before he could leave, two more figures rushed through the door and exited with equal haste, albeit with a innumerable amount of swords puncturing their broken forms. Then, he vanished with a golden mist. He had much to do, and first, he needed to nurse her back to health, it wouldn't do for his one and only equal to be in her current form. He would punish those who made her like this, every single one of them, for daring to sully HIS treasure.

~The Greatest Grail War~

Albus Dumbledore was in a good mood. It had been a fine month for him. The Ministry and Wizengamot had finally folded under the pressure from him a month ago. They had agreed to activate the grail, and just as a precaution, Albus personally lighted it immediately after the motion was passed in the Wizengamot and an owl had been sent to notify the ministry. Finally, the Holy Grail War would come to England, and this time, it will be larger in scope, grander in spectacle than it ever has been. The puny Triwizard Tournament that the Ministry had suggested at the end of last year was nothing compared to the glory of a Grail War, not to mention that this will be the largest one to date. Tomorrow will be the day the Chosen One summons his servant. They had long since selected a catalyst for him to use that would almost certainly grant him victory in the Grail War. This Grail War would be the key to their final victory against Voldemort and his servants. The Headmaster of Hogwarts whistled a merry tune, their triumph was in sight.

Then, it all went to hell. A slight squeak was the only warning before the entire wall of his office disintegrated in a tremendous explosion that he was barely able to shield himself from. Standing up, he walked over and tried to make sense of what had transpired. What he saw did not please him. All of the trackers, spells, that he had painstakingly put in place over the past 13 years had been annihilated. More disturbing was the meter beside these trackers. It showed a defiant 0 as its reading. Right now, there was only one thing the old wizard could think of.

The wards are down. Due to a large burst of magical energy.

Soon, sharp raps on the door could be heard. The blast clearly was loud enough to wake his subordinates. Sighing, he let them in.

"What the bloody hell happened here Albus?"

"Language James!"

"Come on Lily, we are already adults, just let me use some of that vocabulary I have bottled up will you?"

"Albus, how did this happen? Why is your wall blown off?"

Raising a hand for silence, the elderly Headmaster reasserted his authority in the room before slowly speaking. "I believe that young Miss Potter and the Dursley family are in grave danger. The monitors on the wards in my office registered a massive surge in magical energy near the vicinity of the wards and were overloaded, hence causing the explosion. Then, the remaining meter which monitored the wards itself showed that the wards had been destroyed completely afterwards. James, Lily, come with me, we must investigate the scene, bring Daniel along if you desire so."

A yawn punctuated the conversations in the room as a fit and tall young man with wild black hair and startling green eyes entered the room.

"Dad, Mum, headmaster, what is happening?"

"Daniel, we think your sister is in great danger. Now, Albus and us are about to head over to the Dursleys to find out what has happened to her. You can come along if you wish to."

The young man's lip curled slightly before he forced it back to a neutral expression. "I think the three of you will be able to do this, I will just be a liability if I go."

"Alright then son, go back to bed and rest well, tomorrow is a big day for all of us, we need you to be at your full potential in order to for us to have the greatest chance at victory." A taller man, sharing the same messy mop on his head as his son answered. Soon, in a flash of flame, he, his wife and the Headmaster of Hogwarts have vanished from the school, into the suburban town that was Little Whinging. As they stepped forth from the location which the phoenix had ported them to, they were puzzled. Surely such a massive influx of magical energy would have caused massive destruction across the neighbourhood, after all, it was on a magnitude that could not be represented in numbers. Yet, all that greeted them was a quiet street, devoid of people, just like a normal night. The house with the address of No.4, Pivet Drive was completely unharmed as well. It stood just as well as it had 13 years ago. The trio cautiously made their way across to the house which was hosting the younger Potter, casting revealing charms and notice-me-nots all along the way. Deciding that the Dursleys will not appreciate a rude awakening, the eldest of the three unlocked the door silently, then slowly pushing it open and entering the completely silent residence. The couple followed closely behind. Their suspicions were confirmed when they spotted the door to the master bedroom left ajar and the blankets on the bed hastily thrown aside, the residents nowhere to be found. They had clearly been either forcefully dragged off or fled the location hastily.

Neither of those hypotheses proved to be true as they encountered the gory sight that greeted them on the second floor. A plump middle-aged man and his wife were slumped against the wall of the corridor, their innards spilling out and their blood pooling around them, some of it already drying and forming a crust on the floor and walls. They were clearly beyond help. Their beloved son, once so strong and full of vitality, lay on the ground, eyeballs rolled into his head, his face contorted in a silent scream. Albus walked over and checked him, it was too late for him as well. However, there was someone missing. The girl was nowhere to be found and magical analysis of the house had yielded puzzling results. It seemed as if the huge amount of magic that had manifested here just half an hour ago simply vanished. Any learned wizard or witch worth his/her salt would realise that this was an impossibility, magical energy on that scale would leave traces, even if those remnants were just faint ones in the ambient magic of the surroundings. It was incredulous that the magic would simply disappear, at least according to the contemporary laws of magic laid down and proven over and over again across the centuries. Sighing, the old wizard knew that this would be a mess to clean up. Turning to his companions, he reassured them.

"I will do my best to ensure that Iris is found. As for her relatives, I will handle it personally, for now, focus on helping Daniel with the summoning ritual, that is far more important to our cause than Iris."

"Alright Albus, we will leave this up to you."

Soon, the couple were flamed back to the safety of the ancient castle of Hogwarts. Dumbledore however, stayed.

"What have you done, Iris? This is unnatural, even for you. I sincerely hope that you are not the one behind the deaths of your relatives, surely, for all their faults, they did not deserve this."

~The Greatest Grail War~

Hogwarts, the next day

"Rise and shine sweetheart! It's the big day today! Everyone is waiting for you in the ritual room." A woman with flaming red hair and emerald green eyes shook a young man awake. As he opened a bleary eye, he sat up and yawned. It took a moment for his mother's words to register in his mind. But after it did, he shot up like a bullet and dashed into the bathroom to freshen up. The day had finally arrived, it was time Quidditch Extraordinaire, Boy Who Lived and the Chosen One added a new achievement to his already massive repertoire of great deeds. A month ago, the Grail had bestowed onto him 3 command seals, effectively confirming his participation in the upcoming Grail War. Since then, his parents and their allies have managed to procure a catalyst to summon for him the servant which will help him win it. Although, in his mind, he believed that it did not matter if they had gotten the catalyst or not, he would have won either way.

Soon, a much more refreshed Daniel Potter waltzed into the ritual room. The magic circle had already been prepared by him since last week, all it needed were certain catalysts from the Manifestation of his magic to function, a vial of his blood, the tail feather of a phoenix, as well as the scales of a dragon. These have been procured in advance as well. Sitting atop a stone platform just in front of the magic circle was a spear, or what used to be a spear. Even after centuries of disuse, it still glowed an unearthly golden. This was the property that convinced the Headmaster that this would be the correct catalyst to bring forth the servant that will win the not just the Grail War, but rid the world of the Dark Lord as well. His family was already present in the room, as well as his godfather and various friends he had made across the years. The young man smiled lightly at them and walked over to the magic circle. Placing the catalysts in the appropriate locations, he begun the ritual.

"Let the flames of my blood be the essence.

Let the light which shines from the end be the foundation.

Let Blue be the colour I pay tribute to.

Let rise the light against which the dark shall fall.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Let it be filled.

Again, again, again, again.

Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with every filling.

Come forth, the Protector of the Realm, the Great Light that Shines Upon Us All!"

The magic circle glowed with power and lit up as the final words were uttered, showering the occupants of the room with a blinding light and warmth. As the light faded and wind settled, a figure can be seen in the middle of the ritual circle.

She commanded the attention of the room the moment she had arrived, her golden locks of hair wafting gently in the aftermath of the ritual as her piercing emerald gaze swept the room. In her hand was a sparkling lance of white, blue and gold, similar to the colors of the armor she had donned. Atop her head rested a golden crown and beneath her was her faithful steed, dressed in her colors too. On her waist were 2 swords, both with ornate handles and radiating light. She surveyed the others in the room, taking in their looks of awe and admiration. Finally, her attention came to the young man that stood in front of her.

"I am Servant Rider of Blue. I ask of you, are you my Master?"

Dumbledore's smile threatened to grow larger than his face could hold.

~The Greatest Grail War~

The Burrow

This was the moment of truth for him. The future of his family was staked on this. They had already made many sacrifices for this, poor Ginny had to use hand me down books again in order for this catalyst to be procured. A month ago, when the command seals appeared on the back of his hand, he knew. He, as a member of the family, could not fail them, could not fail her. Fred Weasley grimaced, it was all up to him to successfully complete the summoning ritual and achieve a respectable standing in the Grail War to help his family regain some lost prestige and gold. As much as he would not like to admit it, the House of Weasley was in dire straits, their wealth squandered by the 2 generations before his father Arthur Weasley. Now, his family was forced into squalid living conditions and ridiculed by almost every other family in the wizarding world. His fist clenched as he walked up to the magic circle. It was now or never.

Placing the block of gold, a vial of his blood and the tooth of a Cerberus Ron, Hermione and Daniel had knocked unconscious 3 years ago in the correct positions, he walked forward to his position, directly facing a stone platform, atop which sat a yew bow. He turned his head around once again, nodding his head at the Patriarch of his House, his father and taking in the expectant gazes of his family, especially the one of his youngest brother, Ronald Weasley, which was directed at him with a certain form of intensity and hunger.

"Let the purest and worthiest of metals be the essence.

Let the wood which transcends Death be the foundation.

Let Blue be the colour I pay tribute to.

Let rise the wind against which the tyrant shall fall.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Let it be filled.

Again, again, again, again.

Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with each filling.

Come forth, the Most Charitable of Kings, The One Who Provides for Those That Do Not Possess!"

The ritual circle glowed an eerie green and a strong wind picked up in the garden which the summoning ritual was taking place in. From the circle sprouted a great yew tree, its leaves and branches the colour of Death. Atop the top branch stood a man with a hood.

"I am Servant Archer of Blue. I ask of you, young man, if your heart is as merry as mine."

Fred Weasley looked upon his new Servant in awe, perhaps there was hope after all for his family if the cheers of his fellow brothers and sisters as well as the silent tears of joy from his mother were any indication. Soon after finalizing the contract, Fred found himself enveloped in a multitude of hugs, the tightest of which came from his other half, who whispered in his year, asking of him to do everyone proud. Once each family member had bestowed upon him an embrace, Fred stood straight, smiling brightly. It was truly, a very merry day indeed.

~The Greatest Grail War~

Diggory Manor,

"Haha, that's my son. Of course, you would be picked by the Grail, it obviously understands what kind of person is truly deserving of it. Now just go in and do your best, I have faith in you to win it all." The bombastic voice of the elder Diggory rang throughout the hall, causing the young man with stormy grey eyes and well-defined features who stood next to him to blush and lower his head.

"Yea, Cedric, no need to be nervous. You are a great wizard after all. The greatest one to me…" A peck on the lips from the Asian beauty that was his girlfriend deepened the blush to the point where his face was entirely maroon. Shaking his head swiftly and clearing his throat, the young man once again stood up straight and headed over to the magic circle that had been drawn up by him the day before. This time, a silvery sheath sat atop the stone platform which held the catalysts. Placing a vial of water from the specific lake which his father instructed him to collect water from, a branch from the Ash tree which had grown for many years in the yard of the Manor as well as a vial of his own blood mixed with his love's, the young man began his chants.

"Let the waters of the divine be the essence.

Let the light which shines from the depths be the foundation.

Let Blue be the colour I pay tribute to.

Let rise the light against which the darkness shall fall.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Let it be filled.

Again, again, again, again.

Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with each filling.

Come forth, the Greatest of Warriors, the Alpha of the Chivalrous!"

This time, teal light overflowed from the magic circle, enveloping the room in all of its glory and magic. The light rays then refracted and bent, as if hitting water and created a grand illusion, worthy of the work of a Charms master. As the waters receded, a towering man dressed in an armor which glowed pure white, along with a brilliant sword which gave off a silky cerulean sparkle was left in its wake.

"I am Servant Saber of Blue. I warn you of this Master, I am no Chivalrous knight, I am the one who led to my Kingdom's fall. Hearing that, will you still accept me as your blade?"

"Of course, Servant Saber. I warn you of this, I am no Chivalrous knight, for my deeds are nowhere as great as yours, my demeanor nowhere as chivalrous as yours, my faith nowhere as firm as yours. Hearing that, will you still accept me as your sheath?"

Both men gazed at each other for an instant before bursting into laughter. Each of them extended their hands

"Certainly, it would be an honor to fight alongside you in the Grail War." Hearing that, Cedric was given another reward, this time a much more sensual one, from his love, causing him to blush deeply once again.

"And who might this exotic young lady be?" The Knight asked as Cho turned to him. He grasped her knuckle and kissed it gently, causing her to blush.

"My name is Cho, Cho Chang, I believe I am currently courting your Master." The Knight winced slightly, fortunately for him, it was unnoticed by everyone else in the room. Luckily, the joyous atmosphere in the room was regained as the loud voice of Amos Diggory joined the fray. The manor was alight with laughter and banter afterwards.

~The Greatest Grail War~

No.3, Granger Street

A bushy haired girl poured over the books once again. What if she messed up? What if the catalyst just did not work? What if she had already made a mistake in drawing the ritual circle? It might backfire on her, and cause her a great disadvantage in the Grail War. She sighed as she read the same section of the book for the third time in a row, double checking that she had completed every single instruction properly. She was still absorbed in the book and was triple checking the procedure when a knock on her door was heard.

"Hello sweetie, your Headmaster and the Head of Law Enforcement is at the door. They said that the time you have requested for the summoning ritual to take place will start shortly."

"Oh! Thanks for informing me mum!" The young lady quickly took her book and bounced out of the room, skipping all the way down the stairs and out of the house into the garden where the summoning will take place. There stood the wise old wizard and a stern lady, who both looked upon her with warmth. After all, it would not do to make her any more nervous than she already was right before the ritual, which required a steady hand and steely determination.

"Good morning Headmaster, Madame Bones."

"Good morning to you too Hermione Granger. Just as a confirmation, you have requested for 15 minutes of the usage of magic in the presence of the Headmaster and I at precisely 10:15 am today, am I correct?"

"Yes, Madame Bones. I will be preparing the ritual now."

"Alright, the time now is 10:15, you have 15 minutes. Should you require an extension, I would be able to grant you one, but appropriate paperwork must be filed afterwards in order to satisfy the Department of Magical Use. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear, Madame Bones."

"Well then, the best of fortune to your ritual."

With that, the hazel-eyed girl turned towards the magic circle, her eyes coming to a rest atop the catalyst which sat atop the stone platform. It was an ancient tome describing the magical properties of Celtic runes. She had much to be grateful to Daniel Potter for. When she had received the command seals a month ago, she had neither knowledge of the Grail War and the Holy Grail, as well as the proper procedures involved in summoning, nor did she possess a catalyst that will aid her in the latter process. It was then when Daniel stepped in, not only did he grant her a book from the library of the Potters regarding the Grail War, he had given her a catalyst handpicked by himself from the Potter Vaults. If his speculations were correct, she was about to be blessed with a servant of great power. Arranging her catalysts, a vial of her blood, the feather from a beautiful snowy owl familiar and another thick tome, she walked into position.

Hermione smiled, that boy was really nice to her. Over the years, as they went through thick and thin together, she had begun to develop a form of attraction for him. As much as she would like to deny it, she was undoubtedly experiencing a new emotion she had not felt before. With the smile still plastered on her face as she thought of his determined emerald gaze and messy mop of hair, she walked forth to the magic circle. She would be there for him, like always and support him through this adventure as well. With newfound determination, she raised her hand and begun chanting.

"Let the wisdom of the Earth be the essence.

Let the Mystery of the Grand Magus be the foundation.

Let Blue be the colour I pay tribute to.

Let rise the storm that will close the barrier.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Let it be filled.

Again, again, again, again.

Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with each filling.

Come forth, the Highest Sorcerer, the Greatest Magus, the One Most Deserving of God's gift!"

Lighting crackled and the sky turned overcast as the clouds above swirled ominously. The readings on any magical meter monitoring the area registered incredible readings as the ritual brought forth the servant so desired by the Master. As the ritual's effect dissipated, the people in the newly summoned servant's vicinity were stunned. In the place of what everyone expected to be Dumbledore's clone, there stood a young man with flowing white hair, red eyes that glinted like rubies, as well as a devilishly charming aura that made Hermione weak at the knees, and filled her with indecent thoughts that would make any parents want to kill the one inducing it.

"I am Servant Caster of Blue. Say, nothing against you, young lady, but you're a bit too young for my taste, I prefer fruits that are fully ripe, fit for picking."

Hermione blushed indignantly, shaking her head in a desperate attempt to clear the effect that he seemingly had on her. That was when she noticed Amelia Bones and her mother staring at him in the same way she had moments ago. Swiveling her gaze back on him, she took him his features. He was an incubus! And a perverted one at that! Crossing her arms, she said back.

"Oh, great Caster of Blue, how could you have possibly been the Great Sorcerer, surely you are a fake?"

That seemed to tick him off.

"Well, how about this young lady, I will show you my full capabilities in this Grail War, let's see if you believe that I am indeed the authentic thing by the end of it. In return, I will never accept your apologies even if you kneel down and beg me for it."

Hermione smirked, "Deal."

Hilton Residence,

"Has the package arrived? I need it today, tomorrow we will have to return to Hogwarts to meet as a team. I will not have my failure impede Hogwarts's ability to win the tournament." A girl with auburn hair tied in a neat ponytail questioned the two women dressed as maids in front of her.

"Yes mistress, the flower you have asked for was taken from the exact location you specified and sent over via portkey from Athens while you were asleep."

"Good, it is time for the ritual."

Despite her mistress's calm and collected demeanor, she knew that her mistress was anything but. The slight clenching of her teeth, the twitching eyebrow, the trembling fists that were constantly shifting about all gave her a true idea of how her mistress felt. How could she not feel this way? Since young, her mistress had been isolated, with her parents favoring her elder brother over her, giving him all the attention whilst neglecting to raise her properly. As a result, her mistress was withdrawn socially and emotionally frail. This was the first time she had the opportunity to turn it all around, to win the Grail War and gain what she had wanted all these years.

Nicole sighed, as she tried to calm herself. This was it, her chance to prove that she was just as good, if not better than her brother, not just to her parents, not just to everyone else, but to herself as well. When the command seals had appeared on her a month ago, she felt the adrenaline run through her body at the revelation that it was her, not her brother that was chosen by the great wish-granting magical artifact. The joy that she felt when she had been chosen was incredible. Although it was tempered slightly by her brother's indignant response and her parent's subdued reaction, she still felt great. Fate has given her a way to prove herself, and she was NOT letting this chance go.

As a Ravenclaw, it was natural that she had read many books. She had come across a book which detailed many past Holy Grail Wars. In it, she drew a conclusion, often, regardless of fame, older heroic spirits would have greater powers. Hence, she asked one of the servants in the household to help her obtain what she believed will give her a huge chance of winning the Grail War. The artifact itself was ancient, yet youthful. It was a flower, filled with history and the blood of a hero.

The catalysts she would be using for the ritual were her blood as usual, the tail hair of a Centaur Elder as well as the tail hair of a Pegasus.

"Let the blood-stained flower be the essence.

Let the teachings of the Grand Tutor be the foundation.

Let Blue be the colour I pay tribute to.

Let rise the Earth against which all aggression shall shatter.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Let it be filled.

Again, again, again, again.

Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with each filling.

Come forth, the Finest Aegis, the Greatest Bulwark of the Archeans!"

Did it work? That was the first question that came to mind as the dust settled and the ritual ended. In place of the magic circle was a towering warrior, a perfect form of manliness, with a massive shield and an equally impressive spear. He was donning golden plated armor and a helmet with a blood red crest.

It worked!

His deep voice reverberated in the hall of the residence. "I am Servant Lancer of Blue, I will be your aegis, master."

~The Greatest Grail War~

Unknown

She had finally escaped and made it. The ritual circle was complete. Now, they will regret their actions, all of them. She was definitely not insane, like they claimed her to be. It was a travesty, locking her, the Heiress of a Noble House up in a mental institute? How dare they! Well, no matter. She will summon her servant now. Once she does it, they will all be insignificant bugs, waiting to be quashed by her.

Due to her family's affinity for blood magic, all 3 of her catalysts used are vials of blood, specifically belonging to her, her mother and her grandmother. For the main catalyst, she was using the only possession that she had that was worth something as most of her items were confiscated after she was tossed into that hellhole, a pair of obsidian knives, a heirloom and present from her grandfather. The preparations were complete, albeit done in slight haste. Now, for the ritual.

"Let the blood of the sullied be the essence.

Let the unbreakable blades of onyx be the foundation.

Let Blue be the colour I pay tribute to.

Let rise the shadow against which all life shall falter.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Let it be filled.

Again, again, again, again.

Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with each filling.

Come forth, the deadliest of poisons, the scourge of the night!"

Black shadows burst forth and engulfed the alley, shrouding everything in a furious tempest that consumed all. Even as the raging storm died out, a black mist that filled the bravest of men with a sense of foreboding doom remained. In the middle of the mist stood someone unexpected. She frowned, what did she did wrong. Then she saw her eyes. They were a pair of lime green orbs that reflected exactly the look that was directed at her. They both grinned, for on this day, they had found a soulmate.

~The Greatest Grail War~

Malfoy Manor

The middle-aged man sighed as he looked upon his son. A spot in the Grail War for the Malfoys was guaranteed, granted through his silvery tongue and heaps of gold in his vault. It was easy to appeal to the greed of men. However, much to his dismay, it was much harder to appeal to gods. The Grail had granted the Malfoys a position in the Holy Grail War, but instead of giving the position to his son, Draco, the grail decided that it would have the last laugh and gave the command seals to him. However, there was certainly a way around this. Through some old magic and the help of a Grimoire, Lucius had managed to transfer the identity of Master to Draco, although he still held the command seals. This was probably for the better though, Draco was too impulsive to be in charge of these precious bits of ammunition that could potentially turn the tide of the war.

Today was the day for the summoning. To his dismay, it seemed that he was not the only family to have eyes and ears that permeated the entire Ministry of Magic. By the time he had begun searching for a catalyst, many of the most obvious and important ones within Britain had already been procured by other families. Even though they did not possess command seals, they were unwilling to give it up. After all, giving a good catalyst to Lucius was essentially equivalent to handing over more powerful to the Malfoy family. No one liked doing that, not even Malfoy's allies during the First War, those that escaped Azkaban that is. Hence, he had to settle for a second-rate catalyst. All things considered though, it was still a good one, full of potential if everything worked out. At first glance, it is just a slab of stone, but if one takes a closer look, he would understand Lucius's thought process.

"Draco, come, it is time."

"Yes Father. With this, we will show all of the unworthy the true power of blood and heritage."

Swallowing his disapproval, Lucius handed the catalysts to Draco. In this case, they were using the blood of Draco mixed with his, a miniature ball of light filled with magical energy as well as the heartstring of a dragon. Lucius hoped that these catalysts would make it more comfortable for Draco to control the servant. After all, the servant which he aimed to summon was of one of the most difficult ones to control, a berserker. He would provide the servant with the immense amount of mana it requires to continuously power its Mad Enhancement. But the direct commands still fell to Draco, and in his opinion, the Berserker class suited Draco the most in terms of combat style, sadly. His son walking into position jerked him out of his thoughts.

"Let the golden rays of warmth be the essence.

But let it be tinted with darkness.

Let the stone that once accommodated the Greatest of warriors be the foundation.

But let it be corrupted with betrayal.

Let Blue be the colour I pay tribute to.

Let rise the flaming star against which my enemies shall crumble.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Let it be filled.

Again, again, again, again.

Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with each filling.

Come forth, Altered Warrior of the Light, The Harbinger of the end!"

The magic circle came to life with a roar. Electricity arced out in every direction, before a golden mist, corrupted with black filled the room. It condensed and condensed, eventually forming a recognizable figure in the middle of the room. The sword he held still gave hints of the great warrior he once was. But now, traces of corruption could be found on it. The warrior's eyes glowed a terrifying icy blue that held back torrents of rage, despair and regret. Yet, he brought himself to speak.

"Servant Berserker of Blue. Are you my master?"

"Strange, how can you speak to me. I was told that Berserker servants were generally completely incapable of sound conversation."

"My master, it is because my Mad Enhancement Rank is a lowly E. You may consider me as a second Saber instead if it confuses you to think of me as a Berserker."

Lucius's lip tightened, this was something he had not expected. It would certainly have many consequences on his effort in the Grail War. However, judging by the gear of the Heroic Spirit that stood before him, he had a good idea on who his servant was. Maybe it was not so bad after all…

"Very well. Rise, Servant Berserker, you will fight well in the war and we will both be rewarded."

"Yes master."

~The Greatest Grail War~

An old wizard smiled, all 7 servants of the Blue Faction had been summoned. This marks the beginning of the Grail War. Victory is at hand…

And done! Anyways, before I end off, here are some general clarifications:

Canon Harry Potter has been turned into a girl, who goes by the name Iris Potter. Daniel Potter is the Boy Who Lived and her twin brother. Iris is quite special, after all, who can get such a reaction from Gilgamesh? (Let's face it we all know it is Gilgamesh.)

Nicole Hilton and the Other Girl who summoned Assassin are OCs. Nicole is a 7th year Hufflepuff whereas the Other Girl is a 7th Year Slytherin.

This story takes place in Canon 4th Year (Goblet of Fire). The reason why the title is the "Greatest Grail War" is because this Grail war is on a scale that is never seen before, matched not even by Fate/Apocrypha.

The Gaia mentioned in the chapter refers to the Will of the Earth, the planet's intrinsic wish to survive and prosper. The Gods themselves are part of Gaia. Alaya refers to the collective unconsciousness of mankind, and its intrinsic wish to survive and prosper. Alaya was once part of Gaia, but in recent times, it has diverged and in many cases, conflicts may arise between Gaia and Alaya due to differing interests.

This is a crossover fanfiction and hence huge elements within both the Nasuverse and Harry Potter Universe will be changed. Some of these changes will be original and come from me. Read on to find out. You can PM me if you are really confused about a certain concept. I will try my best to explain it in the next chapter or via PM.

I will not be explicitly revealing who the servants are this chapter. However, starting from next chapter, I will be revealing a pair of servants every chapter, including their detailed stats and Noble Phantasms. You can PM me the pair of servants you wish to be revealed. The servants which get the most requests will be revealed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello, it's me, the author back with another chapter. Read and review. Hope you enjoy!**

 **(Words in quotation marks represent speech, italicised words are thoughts, whereas italicised words in quotation marks represent Iris writing on her notebook.) After this chapter uploads will be less frequent due to the upcoming end of year exams that I have, so be patient. :D**

Everything was coloured in a luminous layer of gold. Although there were hints of crimson, azure, indigo in the marvellous array of shapes in front of her, they were all shrouded in the noblest of colours. It was so warm too, perhaps due to this golden glow that surrounded and embraced her lovingly. Then, she froze.

This golden glow, she recognised it! It was the one that she had seen in her home yesterday. Then, she felt it, she felt him, his immensely powerful physique, his soft hair that tickled her shoulder and neck, his strong legs which were entangled with hers. Not to mention, his overwhelming aura that made something within her roar in joy and elation. She was about to succumb to a desire within her to stay this way when she remembered. She remembered it all. Shuddering, she tried desperately to pry his embrace from her, drawing in rapid and short breaths, she struggled against him. Her legs untangled themselves and were trying their utmost to propel her body out of his hold, sometimes even forcefully kicking him to achieve that.

 _Too close, too close, too close!_

As her futile efforts continued, she slumped further and further from lucidity as her subconscious reminded her of a similar situation she had faced not even a day ago. Her breathing was ragged, her strength diminishing, yet he never seemed to even notice her attempts to break free. Unbeknownst to her, tears were already pouring down her cheeks. Was this her fate? To be rescued from one attempt on her chastity, only to immediate face another attempt. Then, she felt him rouse. The embrace broke and she fled, as far as her body would carry her. Slowly, his luminescent golden glow unfurled to its full glory. She backed away from him. It was so, so very intimidating.

He glanced at the tiny form of her backing away fearfully. Normally, he would be flattered by such an action, for it was only right for the lowly peasant to fear the Great King. She was no lowly peasant though. He could not help but feel a twinge of hurt as she rejected his embrace. He did not miss the tears that ran down her face either. He knew that it was justified, for she had not seen any kindness in her life. She was despised and trampled on for simply existing and for things she had no control over. His rapidly fluctuating emotions took another turn as anger and another bout of pain overtook him. Those fools that dare touch her. Her presence alone was worth more than they were combined. They had damaged what was HIS and he would deal out judgement to them accordingly. Dragging his mind from the deep recesses of his anger, he looked at the pitiful and trembling form on the bed again. She had curled into a ball and was determinedly facing away from him.

It was apparent that she did not have any memories of him, any conscious ones at least. Nor did she know of the fact that she was now a participant of the Grail War. He would need to approach this slowly. But in the end, he had no doubt in his mind that he would be able to restore her to her former glory. Softening his stance, he approached her again.

Reaching out a hand tentatively, he tried to caress her well defined face. Yet, she looked terrified at the prospect of him touching her, as she raised her arms in protest and self-defence while continuing to back away from him. Sighing, the Golden King sat down on the bed and moved over to her. He hated to see that this caused her tears to resume. There was a first for everything. Firmly yet gently, he pried her arms from the defensive stance she took and stroked her delicate facial features before ruffling her hair and petting her. Without letting his hand linger for too long, he withdrew it.

"I mean you no harm, child of Gaia. For I am your Servant in the upcoming Holy Grail War. If you wish so, you may call me Gilgamesh. You are no longer within that residence you resided in until yesterday. I have left some food here for you. It should be a magenta and violet shape to you. Your belongings are over there. He pointed to the shapes which she first saw when she woke up." With that, the exuberant glow he always exuded dissolved into a mist of gold sparks.

He did not mean her any harm! She wanted to believe it, so badly. There was something different about him. He was so gentle with her, he did not seem to seek her for the things other men sought for. He had brought her out of that place, gave her shelter and now even food. His voice, it was familiar, yet foreign, like something she had heard in a long-lost dream before. It did not make sense, but part of her yearned to hear it again, to hear it close to her for eternity. As he stated his name and purpose for being with her, she decided to take a leap of faith, even with various questions, insecurities and doubts plaguing her mind. Once again, Iris Potter dared to hope.

Staring at the magenta and violet shape which he mentioned was her food, she moved nearer to it. It smelled heavenly. How could food smell so good? Not even the feasts at Hogwarts on All Hallows Eve and Yuletide could remotely compare to this. Gingerly reaching down, she touched what she believed was cutlery. After 2 minutes of struggling, she had finally gotten a tiny morsel of it into her mouth. Then, her senses exploded. The food was beyond exquisite. It was impossible to tell what it was, for whatever flavour the raw ingredients once had were augmented into something frighteningly delicious. It was more akin to an enchantment than flavour. It consumed the senses of the human ingesting it and drove the human to eat more and more until fulfilment. Soon, much to her embarrassment, Iris was wolfing down the food, using her hands as substitutes to the cutlery. Usually at the Dursleys, she would be happy with even receiving food, no matter how mouldy or little while at Hogwarts, she always ate alone and in pitifully small quantities. But now, even though a part of her mind told her to stop this seemingly primitive action of mowing down the food, she could not stop. After all, who could possibly resist this?

Unknown to her, a pair of radiant rubies was watching her very actions, lighting up with mirth as he watched the adorable little being on the bed consume the sustenance he had left with great vigour. She could be such a glutton sometimes.

After finishing with the last of the food, an inexplicably huge wave of fatigue overtook her and she simply collapsed back onto the bed, falling into a deep, dreamless slumber…

~The Greatest Grail War~

As consciousness returned to her, she noticed something. The magnificent shine of the previous residence she was in no longer existed. Had it all been a dream?! Frantically, she looked around, pleading for any confirmation that she had not been hallucinating. Finally, she spotted something that gave her reassurance, the brightest light that she had ever seen. She noticed something. It was clearer than it had ever been. Her head felt much better, her thoughts coming quicker, her body much stronger. It was puzzling. Then she remembered, it was probably the final night before the school term began. She still needed to finish her assignment given to her by Professor Sinistra. Not to mention this was the last chance she had at the ritual until next year. Staggering to her feet, she looked for her belongings. To her horror, none of them seemed to be present. The golden glow seemed to notice her predicament and drew closer.

Instinctively, she backed away, heart pounding. In her sleep-drugged mind, there was an orange that would never leave, no matter how hard she tried to force it to.

"What's wrong, Child of Gaia?" He sat down on the bed and stroked her hair lightly. She flinched as his hands made contact, but eventually, his gentleness with her reminded her of previous events and calmed her down. Not to mention that a certain portion of her wanted to her to reach out to him and hold him close.

As she calmed down, she began seraching for her magic-imbued writing materials, she panicked as she could not find the familiar glows of magenta and lime. How would see possibly tell him anything? Would he change his mind about her if she was unable to communicate with him? Would he see her as haughty if she did not respond? In a moment of hysteria, she waved her arms in the shape of a book and mimicked writing to him. His glow seemed to flicker in a brief moment of confusion. However, his deep and reverberating laughter followed. In an instant, two smaller shapes appeared next to her. Reaching for them, she ran her hands over them to figure out how to use the new items she had been granted. Eventually, she handed him a piece of paper.

" _My name is Iris Potter. I do not possess a normal form of sight and I am unable to speak. Can you please hand me my staff and the tome you took? I need to finish my homework."_

Another 2 objects appeared next to her, her beloved staff was looking better than ever and even her tome shone more brightly than usual. However, he clearly was not done. She felt him clasp something around her neck, shivering slightly as he made contact with her.

"This pendant will allow you to communicate your thoughts to me without having to speak. Call for me if you require any help."

For the first time since leaving Pivet Drive, she smiled. It was a tearful smile, but just as joyful nonetheless.

 _Thank you._

He felt a surge of joy and possessiveness as her innocent expression of pure gratitude and happiness filled his mind. Then, he left with upturned lips, leaving her to carry out her academic responsibilities.

~The Greatest Grail War~

Soon after he left, she grasped her staff, feeling the familiar warmth as her magic surged through her. Slowly shuffling to what she knew was a window, she opened it and glanced up. She was assaulted with colour, but she had long gotten used to this. Within an instant, her eyes were roving across the night sky, searching for the ones she wanted to see. It had taken a while, but she found them. Commanding her magic, she focused on them.

She then saw a scarlet ball of light. It was a motherly being, constantly comforting her when she was beaten down, giving her the energy and bravery to face the next day. It shone gently at her as usually as she conversed with it.

 _Thank you, Mrs. Betelgeuse._

Then, she moved her eyes slightly, laying them upon the mischievous triplets. They were up to their usual antics, pulsing and shining playfully. Two of them shone a brilliant sapphire whilst the other was more akin to a glowing diamond. They were always telling jokes to each other and her, making her smile when everything was against her. If she could not find companions here, at least she had 3 in them.

 _Never change, Alnitak, Mintaka and you, Alnilam. Thanks for always being with me._

After listening to the humorous banter between the three, she went to the father of the family. Rigel was regal and strong as usual, shining a steady royal blue. He always gave her strength in the nadirs of her life. It was with him that she will lay out her purpose. The ritual.

 _Hello, Mister Rigel, I come with a request today…_

By the time she had finished, she was quivering in excitement. Quickly drawing the ritual circle on the ground, she reached for her tome and took several pieces of parchment out. They were filled with inscriptions that she barely understood herself, but her mentor had assured her that this were the correct inscriptions she needed to complete the ritual. After checking that everything was in place, she stripped and stood in the middle of the ritual circle.

"Oh, blessed Lights of the Heavens.

Come forth and bestow upon the essence of your being.

May all taint be washed away.

May all transgressions be forgiven.

May all existences be created anew.

Come forth and bestow upon the truth of your power.

Oh, blessed Lights of the Heaven,

I plead to you."

As she chanted, she could not help but wonder, how will the generic Manifest of stellar objects manifest in her? As the runic circle settled down from its crackling, she felt nothing. Then, she felt everything. A massive vortex seemed to appear in the middle of her being, consuming everything around it. A moment later, the process seemed to reverse, with a massive surge flooding into her, shattering all of her senses and barriers that had been put on her. However, it was not enough, magic arced out from her, saturating the surroundings and creating a silver bubble around her whilst transferring greater and greater amounts of magical energy into the room. According to the modern laws of magic, if the amount of magical energy in an area exceeded the "ideal" amount of energy, it becomes unstable. And the result of that is always the same. A massive explosion consumed the room, the entire building, and then the surrounding woodlands as well in a dazzling wave of vigorous magical energy. By the time it was over, all within a 3-kilometre radius had been annihilated. At the middle of the crater that had been created lay a young girl, still glowing an unearthly cerulean from the residue of everything that had transpired.

The golden king was watching as essence of the hunter poured into her. It was fascinating, and beautiful to behold watching her transcend the limits which were present in her past. As magical energy surged into her, he felt it wash over him as well. As the magic built up in the room, he had sensed danger and immediately reverted to spirit form, just in time to avoid the cataclysmic fallout. The destruction she left in her wake was the mightiest spectacle he had ever witnessed.

After the dissipation of the titanic shockwave that wiped the area of life, the Golden King materialised once again. Walking over to the centre of the crater, he gently picked her up, taking note of the wondrous work of nature that was her unblemished bare body, now lined with ocean blue runic lines. She had changed. Her tiny and lithe form had filled out, developing into the alluring body which he had always remembered fondly after all this time. It seemed as if nature knew the standards of men. Her face held delicate and well-defined features, her feminine portions were more impressive than before and completing her was a pair of slender and smooth legs that went on forever. Her hair received the greatest change. Gone was the waist length, untameable black mane, replaced by silky golden locks that ran all the way to her thighs.

Then, she opened her eyes. He shivered at the intensity of the gaze that was directed at him. The glassy orbs from before were replaced by a pair of gemstones, while one was shimmering a bright azure, the other was a fiery golden. Both irises were darker along the edges, giving way to a brighter shine in the middle.

 _Gilgamesh?_

Her voice in his mind took him back to reality.

"What is it, Child of Gaia?"

 _Where am I? Why can't I see anything? Did the ritual fail?_

Chuckling lightly at her confused and nervous expressions, he answered. "The ritual worked well enough, too well perhaps. As a result, the surrounding forest paid the price for it, along with your belongings and the house. You annihilated them all."

 _Oh no! What am I going to do? My staff, my books, the tome, Professor Sinistra is going to be so angry at me._

"Do not fret. Regarding your belongings, we will get them when the sun rises. Rest for now."

 _But… but… The fund I receive is not enough to replace everything that I destroyed._

"Even though you are my Master and eternal companion, I am still slightly affronted by that statement." Although watching her face morph into an expression of utmost horror was amusing enough, he immediately continued when he noticed the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "You are in the presence of the King who once possessed All the World's Treasure. Financial difficulties will not be of any concern." Seeing her relief and smile filled him with joy. Deciding to tease her slightly, he remarked regarding her situation in his arms, granting him a massive blush. From his treasury, he brought forth a shimmering gown of lustrous gold, along with matching undergarments, clothing her in it. Seeing her in his colours tempted him greatly. After all, he was still a third mortal, and he was sure that no mortal could withstand the sight before his eyes. He then induced sleep on her, sending her back into his golden capital.

"Rest well, my eternal love."

~The Greatest Grail War~

Hogwarts,

"Are all of the Masters assembled?" The authoritative voice of the former Head of the Law Enforcement Department rang out in the room. After his fall from grace due to his son being discovered as a Death Eater, he had been relegated to the mostly ceremonial role of Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. However, this time, his position was going to play an extremely important part in the upcoming event. He was placed in charge of coordinating the organising and hosting of the Grail War. Now, he was in Hogwarts to brief the local Masters on the rules and regulations regarding the event.

"I believe all the Masters are indeed present, save the Master of Assassin, who is currently being tracked down by the Headmaster himself. He will ensure that she will be able to enter the Grail War without any complications."

"Very well, then I will begin. First and foremost, there are many rules and regulations governing this particular grail war, due to the unique circumstances of having foreign delegates and underage wizards and witches participating in it. All of the rules that I state now will be included in a contract which you will be handed later. Intentional violation of the contract will see you not only face the legal repercussions of your actions, but the loss of your magic as well. Do I make myself very clear?"

Murmured sounds of assent came from the participants, a few of which looked ready to murder each other.

"Then, let me move on to the specifics. This grail war is the largest ever conducted in history. In case any of you are not informed yet, it will host a total of 42 participants, 21 masters and 21 servants. These 42 participants are divided equally into 3 factions. As for all of you, you belong in the blue faction, representing Hogwarts and the United Kingdom. In the Grail War, you are forbidden from attacking anyone from your faction."

"What?!" An indignant shout.

"Would you please let me finish, Mr. Malfoy?" As the source of the disturbance closed his mouth and backed off, he continued, "However, that rule only applies when there is more than 1 faction still within the war. When there is only 1 faction remaining, the participants will combat each other until there is either only 1 master-servant pair left. During the grail war, if you do not wish to battle your former companions, you are allowed to forfeit. By doing so, you will be released from the Grail War and your servant will no longer exist."

There were a few sighs of relief following that piece of news.

"At the end of the grail war, the victor will be granted 1 wish by the Holy Grail. The wish must follow the guidelines which are provided in the contract you will all be handed later. Finally, I wish to make this very, very clear. You will not be allowed to kill or permanently maim any other Masters, regardless of their nationality or school in the Grail War. You are allowed to use any spell, apart from the Unforgivables and some other spells listed in the contract, so long as you fulfil the aforementioned conditions. That will be all. Now, my secretary will be handing out the contracts and blood quills. Please sign them with your full name, or the contract will be declared void and you will be disqualified. Read the contract carefully, I will allow one reproduction of the contract per person to keep at your side. If any of you wish for additional information on the Grail War, you may contact my office."

The six Masters were each handed a contract. Just then, a the family roaring of a Floo arrival sounded as an ancient wizard, holding a young lady's hand showed up in the room.

"Mr. Crouch, I assume the briefing went smoothly?"

"Yes Albus, and I presume the one whom you just took here is the Master of Assassin."

"That will be correct, this is Miss Emily Jones, the Master of the Assassin of Blue. It took me quite a long time to track her down." The elder wizard responded with a twinkle in his eye.

"Have you told her the rules regarding the Grail War."

"I believe I have, Barty. Here is the contract that she has signed."

"That… will be in order. Thank you very much for your assistance Albus."

"All in a day's work… all in a day's work. Care for a drink later? Heavens know that I need a break after that."

"Only if I have time, Albus, you know that with this Grail War, my schedule is packed."

It did not take long for the contracts to be signed and for the Headmaster and Head of Foreign Relations to vanish in the Floo. Soon after, the Deputy Headmistress followed, along with a Master or two.

"Daniel! It's so good to see you! How were your holidays? Did you manage to conjure the Patronus? Did you…" The bushy haired girl was silenced by a finger on her lips and a charming smile from the messy-haired youth that seemingly glided in front of her.

"Hermione, you're doing it again." A playful smirk elicited a bashful expression from the young girl. "Let's leave those questions aside for now. We do have a much more important task at hand right now after all."

As confusion filled the girl's features, Daniel pulled her aside.

"Listen. The Grail War is no trivial affair. I think we all want to win it, and some people are willing to do anything for it, even sabotage their own teammates. You saw Malfoy just now, he did not like the fact that he was on the same team as us, or rather, me in particular. I personally think that we would stand a better chance if we worked together."

"What… do you mean Daniel?"

"I propose that firstly, we reveal our servants to each other. During the grail war, we will stick together, no matter what, even if Hogwarts was the only faction remaining. I also plan to talk to Cedric, I am well acquainted enough to him. Together, the three of us can protect and shield each other if necessary during the grail war from enemies and possible treachery. This will help increase our chances of winning greatly."

"I think that's a good plan Daniel. It will be good to know that some people will definitely have your back in the competition." The two teenagers sunk back into their thoughts briefly. They were now the only ones left in the room, all of the other participants

"Say… you really want to win this Grail War, don't you?" The silence was disrupted by a coy comment and smile from the girl.

"It's not just me, Dumbledore wants me to win it badly too. I'm not too sure why. But then again, who wouldn't want to win it. Can you deny that you want the Grail too?"

"Not really. An omnipotent wish granting device huh… Who can possibly resist that?"

"Yeah, who can? Anyways, you up for my offer?"

"Sure, I don't see why not."

"Alright then, catch you later on during the sorting and feast, my father insisted that I take duelling lessons with him today."

Hermione mouthed a farewell while hesitantly stepping forward, as if requesting for something. Initially, this confused the young man, but he quickly understood. Spreading his arms out, he welcomed the bushy missile that headed his way just a moment later.

A tight hug later that had both realising each of them were no longer the innocent children that had confronted the troll and philosopher's stone together, they both left the room.

~The Greatest Grail War~

"Hmph. So, this is where the mongrels have hidden themselves, in this filthy corner of nowhere, fit only for the worst of scum." One glance at the alley and most would agree with him. It was located in the darkest recesses of the sprawling met, made with the crimson bricks on the verge of turning into dust, with litter spread across the floor. It abhorred the Golden King to see even a speck of his garden turned into this wasteland, unfit even for the lowliest of his subjects. Still, he was intrigued by her, for she did not show any sign that she was perturbed by the sorry state of the alley. Instead, she walked forward and raised a hand, before tapping on one of the bricks. In an instant, the wall gave way, opening the gate to the world of magic.

Then, she paused. The Golden King walked up to her, slightly puzzled. With a blush, she turned to him.

 _I can't walk without my staff, what shall I do? Should I ask him to help me?_

She seemed to have forgotten that she was still wearing the pendant which he had given her. Taking her hand in his, he tugged her. Her face was a akin to a ripe tomato when she realised that her thoughts were perfectly audible to him. Still, this was welcome, at least she did not have to take the initiative.

 _Thanks…_

Diagon Alley was bustling as usual, being one of the only purely wizarding streets in the United Kingdom. Shops selling all kinds of goods were present, from stationary shops to apothecaries, from Quidditch dedicated shops to wand stores. It was truly the economic capital of the magical world. However, it was also old and dilapidated in many sections, as the Golden King was quick to note. Even in Ancient Uruk, 4 millennia ago, there were no streets that looked as decrepit as this. Even if there were any, as King, he had a duty to ensure that it did not exist. It was clear to him that those in power here had no idea how to rule. At the end of the street, which seemed to be where she was leading him towards, was perhaps the only respectable building in the entire area. It was a bank.

He almost burst out laughing. How ironic and pitiful it was, for something akin to a guild of thieves to possess the only building worth any value in the vicinity. He had another close call when he walked through the entrance and read the inscriptions on the silver doors that guarded the inner entrance.

Enter, stranger, but take heed.

Of what awaits the sin of greed.

For those who take, but do not earn.

Must pay dearly in their turn.

So, if you seek beneath our floors.

A treasure that was never yours.

Thief, you have been warned, beware.

Of finding more than treasure there.

It was hilarious, watching these self-purported owners of treasure guard their stolen goods so jealously. How dare these fools claim what was his without his permission! Indeed, they will pay dearly in their turn, for the sin of greed, for they have sought treasures that were never theirs.

The bank itself was fairly impressive, slightly reminiscent of the gargantuan dining halls within his palace, constructed with marble, with counters stretching across its length manned by these short, foreign-looking beasts. Iris had told him the proper conduct expected within Gringotts, but he never saw a reason why he should follow these regulations. These plunderers took their treasure and have the gall to call it their own. They deserved no mercy, much less any respect from him. He will pass judgement on them in due time, for their heinous transgressions on his laws. But for now, he would have to behave civically, for her sake.

She took the notebook which he had passed to her that morning and begun writing.

" _Good morning Teller, I am Miss Iris Potter. I am here to exchange gold into Galleons."_

After she was done, she handed the note over to the expectant Teller, who sneered as he saw the contents of the message.

"Miss Potter, I believe that you are woefully ignorant of the proper procedures regarding the exchange of gold. Gold is not the same as muggle currency. In order to exchange gold into currency, you would need to arrange a prior appointment with Gringotts, as well as obtain a certificate to prove your trustworthiness from the bank. I believe I cannot help you. If you still wish to exchange the Gold, please drop an official letter requesting for an appointment. Of course, if you are willing to offer Gringotts a special, negotiable rate, we are willing to make an exception."

She felt a menacing aura flare up beside her and saw the golden light shine with even more lustre, but laden with a roaring flame that was on the verge of spilling over. She shivered as she wrote down another message on the notebook.

" _I am willing to negotiate, so long as Gringotts allows me to conduct the exchange today."_

"Very well Miss Potter, this way."

They were led into an intricately decorated room. In the middle of it sat another goblin, obviously of higher status due to his more ornate attire. She never really liked these, their glow was also golden, but altered in some way. Instead of the warmth and longing she felt in his presence, she felt only coolness and a desire for greater amounts of possessions from them.

"Well met Miss Potter, I have received information that you are here to exchange Gold into wizarding currency. If I am not mistaken, you have not contacted Gringotts prior to this meeting, nor do you possess the necessary documents. Hence, we will have to go through the necessary protocol to determine your trustworthiness. Now, the first step to that is fairly simple. Present your gold, and Inspector Snapjaw over there, he signalled to a figure a shade of pyrite in the corner, will ensure that it is of the correct purity and quality."

Another flare set alarm bells ringing in her mind as the ticking time bomb that was her companion was dangerously close to reaching his limits in patience. Desperate to calm him down, she placed a hand on his arm and stroked it tenderly whilst shaking her head at him. This seemed to work, for now at least. With a lazy wave of his hand, a massive pile of cuboids appeared on the floor. The shock of the Goblins was evident, even to her, their glows flickering intermittently for the better part of the following 10 seconds. However, the flicker was soon replaced by a sinister green, which seemingly emanated from the very core of these beings.

"Inspector Snapjaw, you may begin your task." The voice that filled her ears was not the dismissive one she was familiar with. The goblins have spotted their prey, and they were now on the prowl.

A brief inspection later, the goblins exchanged whispers. Iris soon found herself presented with a contract.

"Now, Miss Potter, the second step you will have to partake is to sign on this contract. After doing so, you will be considered a trustworthy partner of Gringotts. As he attempted to guide her hand to the corner of the parchment that she would have to sign, the contract was suddenly pierced by a sword and promptly disintegrated.

"Mongrel, do you take me as a fool? Do you think that I would not notice the true extent of the binding agreements of that piece of paper?"

The goblins backed up slightly, cowering under the freezing gaze which was now directed towards them. Still, their pride forced them to put up a false face of bravado.

"Are you accusing Gringotts of putting its clients into contracts unwillingly?"

"Once again, you think of me as a fool, mongrel. Doing so not once, but twice, certainly warrants a death penalty." Once again, a sword loomed out of a golden portal that hovered behind the King. Upon seeing this, the inspector frantically pulled on a cord, promptly summoning a cohort of guards that now lined the entrance of the room.

"Now, Mister, put your hands up. We will be detaining you for threatening a Master Teller and an Inspector within Goblin Territory, after which, you shall be tried according to Goblin Law." With this, the dam finally broke, and the quasi-hysterical laughter of the Golden King filled the room.

"Hahahahahahahaha!"

The goblins glanced at each other, perplexed.

"I have never heard such amusing, if not foolish words before. Come mongrels, for the entertainment you have provided me, I will be allowing you a glimpse of what you are dealing with." The Golden King then opened the gate, enveloping the room in his colours.

Everything was golden. There were mountains of the precious metals, rivers flowing with the molten element, heaps upon heaps of items crafted from just one thing. Gold. The landscape stretched on forever, and even the most foolish of goblins could recognise that this was all authentic, purer than any gold that Gringotts had ever encountered.

"Do you recognise this, mongrels?" As shocked silence met his rhetorical question, he continued. "This, is All the World's Treasures, along with the immeasurable and overwhelming power that comes with it. I will have no issues in stripping your establishment of all of its pride, history and power. I can easily drive the wealthiest of you into poverty, the most powerful of you into slavery. It would certainly be enjoyable to watch the lot of you worthless worms squirm and beg for a living. I would have done so already, if not for the Child of Gaia, who for some reason, is subservient to your laws and requires you. Hence, I will offer you a single opportunity to deal with me. Should you reject this most generous offer of mine, the consequences you shall suffer will be great." Countless weapons were now directed at the goblins, enhancing the threat which had just been laid down.

The goblins visibly stiffened. They were not used to this. Usually when it came to the financial world, they were the ones dominating wizards and dictating terms and for good reason. Wizards were simply unable to keep up with the goblins when it came to finance. They also had the power necessary to back it up. With more than 80% of Great Britain's private savings locked up in Gringotts, they essentially had a massive hostage which could be used to throw their weight around. This was different though. There stood a man who could singlehandedly cripple Gringotts itself by throwing around his gold and debasing the value of it.

It came down to a ferocious struggle between their pride and survival instincts. Nature never lost, and she does not intend on losing any time soon. The goblins, who have stood so proudly and demanded surrender just a few moments ago, were now grovelling at the Golden King's feet, pleading for forgiveness and mercy.

"Pardon me Mister, what would this offer be?"

"You will calculate the value of the gold which I initially summoned at double the normal rate, and hand us the equivalent sum."

"But… but… this is plain robbery…" A raise of an eyebrow and the goblin went back to prostrating himself before the mighty King.

"Are you implying that you prefer the alternative, worm?"

"No… no… never…"

"Well then, what might you mongrels be waiting for? Hand over the currency and be done with it."

~The Greatest Grail War~

She never liked this store. There were too many colours, too many malevolent colours. Unlike the glittering globes of warmth that looked upon her in compassion and kindness that filled the night sky, many of these shades which she now saw sniggered, taunted and frightened her. It was their nature, she was told. But it did not stop her from disliking it.

"Ah, hello there, my favourite customer. What might bring you here today?"

His colour was a wispy silver, it was a noble colour, perfectly suited to the eccentric yet kind-hearted old man who had dedicated his life to creating magical foci.

Taking out the notebook and scribbling on it. She presented her answer.

"I see, was it the Greater Invocation Ritual? If it was you should come here even if the staff was not destroyed. That ritual changes many things within you. Your previous magical foci might not suit you at all if certain components of your magic is altered."

" _How did you know, Mister Ollivander?"_

"Your hair, your body, those eyes of yours that used to be like your mother's. They've changed."

Noticing her discomfort at that, the wandmaker hurriedly changed subjects. "Well then, let's get started, Miss Potter. You did spend all day in my store last time after all. If I'm not wrong, you still have a train to catch. Come on, follow me."

Wands, the foremost conduit for magical casting in the era of modern magics, replacing staffs and runic circles as the main form of spellcasting. They were favored due to their qualities of being lightweight and easily portable. Most importantly, wands are known to be very temperamental and will not work for whoever it does not agree with, including its owner at times. However, for some people, their magic might cause them to prefer using staffs as their magic involves a greater emphasis on slow, long-term magic that require a greater than normal amount of magical energy.

"Now, Miss Potter, would you tell me which faculty in Hogwarts do you belong to?"

" _The Faculty of Heavenly Bodies."_

"Very well, come. We will, as usual, determine the items that make up the core. Hold your hand over here," the wandmaker guided Iris's hand over an assortment of cores. She remembered the previous time she had done this. Some called to her, others were repelled by her, while the rest were indifferent. However, this time, it was fairly different. 2 of the cores immediately flew into her hand, and her magic immediately responded with an enthusiastic cheer, causing sparks of it to emit from the cores.

"Don't be worried Miss Potter. This is a normal occurrence. Generally, the older you get, the more in tune you are with your magic, and your sense of self is much clearer. You have the heartstring of a Himalayan Watcher there, not a surprise, considering your Faculty, and… the tentacle muscle of a Pacific Blue Kraken. You make for an interesting customer yet again, Miss Potter."

Unable to contain her curiosity, she questioned.

"Simply because of the fundamental nature of both of these creatures. The Himalayan Watcher is often known as the One Who Witnessed the Heavens by indigenous people due to their tendency to gaze at the night sky, as well as their ability to soar higher than any other known breed of dragon. The Pacific Blue Kraken however, is nicknamed: The One who saw the Abyss due to the depths at which it lives. I was extremely lucky, as I came across the Kraken during one of its attacks on a ship. They killed it and I was able to extract the necessary core ingredient. To have both present in your foci is quite unusual. I still stand by what I told you when you last came. You, are a truly special child."

The wood selection for the staff went smoother than expected as well, with the wood of a century old Willow Tree choosing her to be its master. Soon, Iris was holding her new staff in hand, magic coursing through it and her once again. Unseen to the naked eye due to the overwhelming light of the Sun, Orion shone brighter.

With the final purchase, the younger Potter left the store with her companion.

"So, what shall we do now?"

 _Can you tell me the time Gilgamesh?_

"It is currently 10:45 in the morning, according to the timekeeping system in your age."

 _Oh no! We need to make our way to the Hogwarts Express, I can't miss it._

"Give me the location, I will bring you there, just like this morning."

 _King's Cross Station. Platform Nine and Three Quarters._

With a blur, both of them vanished. The Golden King smiled, realising that both of them did not notice that they never let go of each other all this time.

~The Greatest Grail War~

Beauxbatons,

As the chants died down in the room, 14 individuals stood in the room. A tall, radiant blond stood at the centre of the room. Her smooth yet firm and authoritative voice rang out in the room.

"Servants of the Black Faction, we are your masters. Serve us well in the Grail War and we shall triumph without a doubt in the Grail War."

7 of the individuals immediately knelt down on one knee.

First amongst them was a truly peerless warrior armed a sword that glistened at its golden hilt.

Then a youth, proudly holding up the standard which she had carried all her life knelt, her braid swaying. On her waist was a sword, seemingly sealed with something.

The third warrior had to dismount. He was the one which demanded the room's attention, capturing the focus of his children and allies in the room. In his hand was a sceptre, whereas his sword remained on his waist.

The fourth was had a mighty build, his massive longbow on his back, as well as arrows which were glowing with heat.

The fifth held a tome in his hands, his eyes filled with terror and joy. He did not seem to be paying attention to the happenings in the room.

The sixth was a shadowy existence, his presence seemingly vanishing the moment any form of darkness came near him.

Finally, another gigantic warrior, shrouded in mists of black, holding two massive battle-axes by his side, bent his knee.

The war was finally here, and she, Fleur Delacour, would prove to her schoolmates that she was not just another pretty face, not successful simply because of her heritage.

What better way to prove it than this glorious event?

~The Greatest Grail War~

And done! For now, the story is moving along slowly, but fret not, many concepts will be explained in the story soon and the story will progress quicker from then on.

Just to answer some queries, I will state this again: the world I am using is neither the Harry Potter universe nor the Nasuverse. It is a world with elements from both of those worlds as well as some of my own ideas thrown into it as well. So, if anything differs from canon, it is most likely intentional.

As for a commonly asked question, the Merlin in this world is not trapped in Avalon. He is the Merlin of Harry Potter's world, who studied at Hogwarts during his youth and was renowned as one of the most powerful wizards of all time. He was a member at Arthur's court, but did not manage to transcend death and hence did pass on to the Throne of Heroes.

As for the readers believing that Gilgamesh is an auto-win in the Grail War; let us ponder. What are Gilgamesh's true intentions currently? Is it to win the Grail War? Even if he is properly motivated, what is he motivated to do? And also, is Iris even a participant of the Grail War in the first place?

As for the servants, I will be revealing this week, since there are no specific requests and many of you are already guessing the servants (correctly in many cases), I will just reveal it by order two at a time. The Three Knight Classes (Saber, Lancer, Archer) first, and the Four Cavalry classes (Rider, Assassin, Caster, Berserker) later. Beauxbatons servants will only be introduced once I am done with the Hogwarts ones. Here they are:

Saber of Blue

Master: Cedric Diggory

True Name: Sir Lancelot Du Lac (Knight of the Lake)

Gender: Male

Birthday: Unknown

Height: 191cm

Weight: 81kg

Blood type: Unknown

Place of Origin: France

Likes: Etiquette and tradition

Dislikes: Talking about his true intentions

Talents: Martial Arts, Horseback Riding

Abilities:

Magic Resistance: B

Riding: B

Knight of Owner: A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands: A++

This ability allows Lancelot to turn anything within his hold, even the dullest scrap iron, as long as it can be conceptualized into a weapon, into a weapon that can rival the greatest legendary weapons and injure other servants. It also allows him to take control of any weapon from any age and wield it as if it were an extension of his arm. All items which he takes possession of will be turned into a Rank D (Rank C: Fame boosted due to location) Noble Phantasm.

Eternal Arms Mastership: A+

This ability allows Lancelot to fight at full capacity when under the effect of mental hindrance.

Knight of the Lake: C

This ability grants Lancelot healing capabilities against magical attacks, it can completely negate magical attacks of rank D or lower. It also gives Lancelot the ability to resist orders from a Master which directly contradicts his code of chivalry and honor.

Protection of the Fairies: A

This ability is a blessing from the Elementals, it grants Lancelot the capacity to increase his Luck in dangerous situations. Activation is limited to battlefields.

Noble Phantasms:

Arondight: The Unfading Light of the Lake

Type: Anti-Unit

Rank: A

Range: 1-2 (Fame boosted: 1-10)

Maximum number of targets: 1-2

By equipping Arondight, all abilities of Lancelot are sealed, except for Protection of the Fairies and Knight of the Lake. Lancelot's parameters also increase by 1 rank up to the rank of A+.

Arondight is a holy sword wielded by Lancelot, although it has lost that quality since Lancelot used it to slay several of his fellow knights. It was granted to Lancelot as he was the embodiment of the "perfect knight", the strongest, bravest and truest knight of his era. It bears a similar design to Excalibur, carved with Fairy Letters to demonstrate its quality as a Divine Construct. It is a limitless sword capable of receiving any attack without taking damage. It shines, much like the water of the Lake. Finally, it deals additional damage to Heroic Spirits that are "Dragon" attributed due to the legend where Lancelot slew a dragon with Arondight.

Arondight-Overload: Overloaded Light of the Lake

Type: Anti-Army

Rank: A+ +

Range: 10-100

Maximum number of targets: 200

Lancelot can activate Arondight into this version by bestowing an Overload to the Unbreakable Light of the Lake, letting the magical energy leak out of it. It is then repurposed into an attack which causes the vast magical energy to overflow and cleave the enemy into two with a slash of light.

Parameters of Lancelot:

Strength: B

Endurance: A

Agility: A

Mana: C

Luck: A

Noble Phantasm: A++

And the other one:

Archer of Blue

Master: Fred Weasley

True Name: Robin Hood (King of the Merry)

Gender: Male

Birthday: Unknown

Height: 178cm

Weight: 65kg

Blood type: Unknown

Place of Origin: England, Sherwood

Likes: Picking up girls

Dislikes: Chivalry, Timid Girls, Architectural Beams

Talents: Farming, Cooking

Abilities:

Independent Action: A

Magic Resistance: D

Golden Rule: D

Presence Concealment: A+

May King: The King Without a Face: B

This ability manifests itself as an invisible Noble Phantasm that erases any sign of the wearer. It disables any attempt to read the wearer, allowing him to win most of the attack exchanges while it is active.

Blessing of the Forest: A

Passive: The ability grants Robin Hood immunity against any Druid/wood related magic/attack. Any Druid/wood related magic/attack cast/directed against Robin Hood will heal him and grant him a boost in energy instead of harming him.

Active: When activated, this ability grants Robin Hood the ability to see any enemy in any form of woodland. As long as Robin Hood fights in the woodland, all of his parameters are boosted by 1 rank and his magic resistance is boosted to A rank. Activation is restricted to battlefields.

Noble Phantasms:

Yew Bow: The Bow of Prayer

Type: Anti-Unit

Rank: B

Range: 5-200

Maximum number of targets: 1-2

The Yew Bow of Robin Hood launches arrows tipped with Druid magic or poisons. If an arrow hits, it has the ability to instantaneously amplify and surge out any impurities stockpiled in the victim's body, such as poisons and diseases. If the target is poisoned, it will make the poison explode, dealing extreme damage. The Druid magic within the Yew Bow can cause tree roots and trunks to appear from the ground spontaneously where the arrow impacts, trapping anyone in close vicinity to the target area.

Yew Bow: The Fury of the Forest

Type: Anti-Group

Rank: B

Range: 5-200

Maximum number of targets: 5-50

Robin Hood can activate the Yew Bow and use it to fire consecutive arrows at a rapid pace.

King of the Merry: Salvation of the Unprivileged

Type: Anti-Army

Rank: A

Range: 100-200

Maximum number of targets: 500

Robin Hood is particularly known for his willingness to steal from the rich and give to the poor and as the leader of the Merry Men. The legend manifests itself in this Noble Phantasm. When activated, a torrent of arrows lanced with the poison of the Yew Tree shoots from the sky. The arrows will home towards targets with the highest parameters and/or the highest rank in the Golden Rule. The effects of these arrows are similar to the arrows launched from the Yew Bow, although milder.

Parameters of Robin Hood:

Strength: C

Endurance: C

Agility: A+

Mana: D

Luck: A

Noble Phantasm: A

For anyone saying that these servants are perhaps too strong, I assure you that it will be fair competition as many of the other unintroduced servants are very powerful too. Furthermore, these servants are both summoned in their home countries, hence they would receive quite a substantial boost from their Fame. These servants may differ greatly from their canon counterparts, but that is intended.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello! I'm really sorry about the delay in updating, exams and revision have really drained my time available. Thank you all for being patient with me. I promise to upload at a more rapid pace once my exams are over. Here is the third chapter, hope you all enjoy!**

 **(As usual, do review!)**

The journey to Hogwarts was the same as usual. There were no colours around to distract her, save the brilliant golden that was now a paramount existence in her life. The cabins near the first years had always provided with a silent sanctuary. She had heard of the beauty of the countryside from her classmates, she so longed to witness it. Instead, what she saw was mesmerizing in its own right, flecks of green, shades of brown and the occasional other colour flying by the Hogwarts Express. Still, she wanted to see the gorgeous cliffs, rolling hills and vast forests that the first years in neighbouring carriages are describing so avidly.

It was her 7th time on the Hogwarts Express and it went by as usual, with her burying herself in the thick tomes which she had acquired. This year, her collection was notably healthier, with numerous stacks of books lying on the seats opposite her as well as within her trunk. The tome that was currently in her hands filled her in on information regarding the new course that was available to Fourth Years, Specialisation of Magic. At around the age of fifteen, a young wizard or witch's magical core was considered stable enough for the Ritual of Discovery, whereby he or she will attempt to seek for the Manifest that their magic was attuned to. Of course, younger teenagers have attempted. She was no stranger to rumours of the Boy Who Lived discovering his Manifest at the tender age of 12 when researching ways to deal with the basilisk that had terrorised the school in her second year. She could not be more different from him though, with him being naturally gifted at magic whilst she struggled with the simplest of spells that were taught, so much so that some of her school mates had thought her to be a squib at some points.

Things did change for the better after that one-night Professor Sinistra discovered her conversing with her celestial family. She had been giving her private guidance since then, due to her rare form of magic that seemingly rejected most modern magical norms, such as wands and the Latin spells, educating her instead on a separate branch of magic, one that stemmed from Ancient Mesopotamia. The spells used in that form of magic were cumbersome, requiring intense preparation, concentration and massive amounts of magical energy for proper casting. As a whole, Mesopotamian magic worked on a grander time scale than its Latin counterpart, relying more heavily on runes and rituals instead of quick spellcasting from a wand. Despite the difficulties she faced in the process, such as magical exhaustion and a general lack of teaching materials due to the obscurity of the branch of magic, Iris progressed rapidly and had managed to get to a respectable level of competency at the end of the previous school year.

It was the same professor who had assigned her the work of attempting the Ritual in order to seek and grasp her true Manifest. Whilst the ritual succeeded, she had not figured out the extent of her true Manifest yet. Hence, she had grown incredibly interested in the new addition to her curriculum. It gave her hope that she was special; for her deepest desire was to deny what she had been told for her entire existence.

A flash of golden passed by the train carriage, reminding her of the mess she had managed to get herself into. The Holy Grail War. She held a lot of doubts regarding the event, as she was fairly certain that the seven masters representing Hogwarts had been selected, based off of the statement her Headmaster had made in the Daily Prophet just a day ago. Her companion had introduced himself as a servant, which implied that she was a master, thus contradicting what the newspaper had reported. She sincerely hoped that she would not have to compete, for tales of bloody ends of masters in Holy Grail Wars were numerous. Initially, she was reluctant to let him follow her, so as to not attract attention at school and just have a quiet year. However, she soon found herself unable to leave him, for she had finally found a bastion of warmth, of safety that made her long for the security and peace that had flooded her within his realm. Not to mention that he insisted on following her and did not seem willing to take no for an answer.

"Oh, there you are, Potter. Nice makeup." Her ears perked up, immediately recognising a voice that spoke of torment and pain. There were three of them, one violet, one forest green, the other an angry maroon. She drew back into the compartment, wishing that they would just leave. Had they not had enough? Was it really that entertaining to see her curled up and trembling? She did not understand them. She could not understand them.

 _Why?_

 _Why?_

"Still trying to learn magic? I thought that you might one day let go of your delusions, squib. And did you really think a few glamour charms and disguises can fool me?" Picking up one of the thick tomes, the violet figure thumbed through it before tossing it away. Iris flinched as the tome landed with a thud, knocking over one of the piles of books, causing them to cascade down and form a heap on the floor of the compartment. Then, she heard someone pull her trunk out from under the seats. Reaching over desperately, she tried to pry her belongings from the hands of her year mate. Derisive laughter filled her ears as she was shoved away and held roughly by her arms by the maroon figure. Terror seeped into her heart as she heard the locks of the trunk open as the Unlocking Charm was cast.

"Where did you get all these nice clothes from eh? Sold your body out, haven't you?" Iris lowered her head, her strength fleeing her, arms drooping. "A girl like you won't be needing this, don't you agree? I'll just be taking it, you can go back to your hand me downs." Tears began gathering in her eyes as she listened silently to the sounds of her belongings being removed from her possession. Her thoughts grew less and less coherent as she recovered from her initial shock to realise the hold the maroon shape had on her. She tried frantically to flee, to leave. But alas, it was in vain. Soon, violet turned its attention to something else.

"Ooh, a pretty pendant too. Well, I'll be having that." Her neck was engulfed in pain as the violet shape tugged at her pendant violently. However, something was different this time. Something inside her screamed for her to resist, to fight back, to protect the pendant. Breaking free with strength she did not know she possessed, she shoved the violet and maroon shape away before falling due to inertia, whimpering as she came into contact with the ground.

There she sat, facing the darkening shades of colour with a pitiful defiance as tears streaked down her cheeks.

"You'll pay for that." The maroon shape moved forth and with a swift movement, caused her face to meet with his palm with a sickening slap.

 _Please, let them leave._

 _Let them leave._

 _Let them leave._

The other shapes, seemingly emboldened by this act, moved forth as well, without doubt intending to cause her harm. She braced herself for the incoming strikes. If there was one thing good about living in her "home", it was desensitization to beatings like this. These youngsters were mild compared to her uncle…

He heard her. Her piteous pleas. Her mind was no longer clear, it was frankly, a jumbled mess. Whatever that she had encountered was hurting her to an extent which destroyed her capability to think. He could not bear to see her like this, fragile and broken. She was his one and only equal, his other half. Anything that caused her distress would be destroyed, without exception.

Making his way to where he knew she was, he briefly paused in surprise. He might have known humanity's potential for cruelty, but to see such young souls torment each other deeply unsettled him. In his time, all children were innocent beings, filled with joy, curiosity and wonder, a sharp contrast to the vindictive pleasure and viciousness that lay before his eyes. Surely, this was another sign of the decaying worth of humanity. However, his contemplation ceased as he lay his eyes upon her, helplessly enduring the abuse unleashed unto her by her peers. Red hot fury coursed through his veins as he materialized in a fearsome shower of gold. It did not matter if they were children, they would pay for harming her.

He threw them out forcefully, tossing them against the walls of the corridor of the train carriage without pause and rounded on them. Only his distaste for hurting children and his quivering companion within the compartment made him leave them without further punishment. Even as the three other children left fearfully, he could still hear her.

 _Make it stop, make them go away…_

What had she experienced to have made her like this, his strongest treasure, shattered beyond recognition. Picking up and repacking her items into her trunk, he walked over and took her into his arms. She shivered and leant into him reflexively. Placing his arms around her, he rubbed her back and cradled her.

"You need not to be afraid anymore, Child of Gaia. They have left." He gently told her as he stroked her hair and brushed the remaining tears off her face. He felt a twinge of joy as she visibly calmed down a little, her breathing beginning to slow and the shivering stopping. It reminded him of a distant memory, one which he still held in his heart after so long. They were in similar positions, with her lying quietly in his arms as she vented her feelings. He smiled, she had not changed, not one bit. He would always be there for her, and from now on, she would always be there when he needed her.

It took ten minutes for her to completely recover as she brought her thoughts back under her control. Once again, he had saved her. He had driven away her tormentors, leaving her with nothing but warmth and comfort. As usual, a part of her roared in happiness as she was in close proximity with him. But she was certain she felt something else this time. It was a small spark, but it brought her so much unknown emotions that it scared her, but ultimately warmed her.

Gathering her emotions, she sat up and looked out, feeling his embrace adjusting to her new position. The blazing orange of the sun was gone, replaced by the gentle silver of the moon, as well as the tiny specks of light that was so, so very familiar. She would be reaching Hogwarts soon.

~The Greatest Grail War~

Minerva McGonagall was troubled. Two of her students had shown up with sprained ankles, one with a dislocated shoulder, all muttering about how a strange man had thrown them out of a compartment. When asked the reason, they remained silent. However, they were eager to provide the appearance of the man. Golden hair, a body sculpted to perfection, blood red eyes that burned with fury and an aura that induced a suffocating sense of fear into them. This was the source of her worries, for the description certainly did not fit anyone within the castle. For all she knew, this man could seek to harm more of the students at Hogwarts. Eventually, she had coaxed some intriguing information from the trio, Iris Potter was with them in the compartment. Immediately, she sent the prefects to assist the students to head to medical wing before heading up to the headmaster's office to alert the headmaster of the events that had transpired.

Unbeknownst to her, Albus Dumbledore shared her distress, as the Hogwarts wards had picked up an unknown magical signature that seemingly passed right through the defensive measures of the wards. The doors to his office opened as the deputy headmistress walked in.

"Albus, I just had three students come and report that they had encountered an unknown man on the Hogwarts Express. Each of them were bearing injuries."

The Headmaster paused, perhaps this was the unknown signature that Hogwarts had detected. This was not good, the intruder clearly had malicious intentions, seeing as he had hurt the students here.

"Yes Minerva, the Hogwarts wards had picked up his signature. I fear that he is within the walls of the castle by now."

"What shall we do, Albus?"

"Share what you know with me, I will make my plans in accordance to the information I presume you have for me."

As the deputy headmistress reiterated what the students had told her to Dumbledore, the frown on the Headmaster's face became more and more pronounced. He had not seen such a person with these descriptions throughout his lifetime. Furthermore, blood red eyes were a rarity, almost completely none-existent save for some unfortunate folks suffering from defects. His instincts told him that this person they were dealing with was not an ordinary one. If he was truly against the inhabitants of the castle, Dumbledore knew that he might not be able to save everyone.

Just then, he heard a familiar name. Iris… Potter… Ah… So, she returned to Hogwarts after all. He had not forgotten her disappearance from Pivet Drive. It saved him the trouble of having to search for her. It was a good opportunity to question about the events that happened there. This name brought back memories, unpleasant ones that he wished would just vanish. It had not been easy on his conscience after he had done what he had to. Apparently, she had encountered the man and escaped unharmed. Albus made up his mind. He would have a chat with her to find out more about the mysterious intruder.

~The Greatest Grail War~

Iris made her way to the far end of her faculty's table in the Great Hall, looking on forlornly as the teal and yellow she encountered backed away as she approached. The Hall was lively as usual, alight with conversation and laughter as friends caught up with each other after being separated for a few months. The Great Hall was divided into six tables, one for each faculty that existed in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as well as one each for the first and second years respectively. They were, the faculty of elements, the faculty of heavenly bodies, the faculty of physical beings, the faculty of physical existences.

In Hogwarts, education was standardised for the first two years, with every student learning the basics of magic, taking the core subjects of Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology and Potions, along with two out of four electives. These electives were: Astronomy, Elemental Studies, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. The third year would be the year where they would be sorted into their respective faculties. By this time, they would have enough knowledge of magic to perform a basic diagnostic ritual which gave them a general idea of what their Manifest will be. They are sorted accordingly.

The differently faculties function as their name suggests. Students with Manifests that are related to the control of an element, such as fire-based magic would be sorted into the Faculty of Elements, whereas students with Manifests related to a celestial object, such as the moon would enter the Faculty of Heavenly Bodies. Meanwhile, students which have a Manifest which was a living thing, such as a familiar would enter the Faculty of Physical Beings, whereas students with a Manifest that was a non-living thing, such as a quill, would enter the Faculty of Physical Existences. In these faculties, students take similar courses, but they are conducted by specialized staff who understand how to integrate the students' Manifests into such subjects. Lessons are less structured in these Faculties as students would often mostly take personal tutoring instead of sitting in a classroom with his or her peers. Exams, both theoretical and practical were mostly personalized and sent to a marking centre for marking. This is to ensure that students were able to reach their full potential by the time they graduate. This fairly innovative system has granted Hogwarts the title of undisputed finest school in the British Isles ever since it was adopted.

However, for some like Iris, problems remained. Her magic was in a sense, too unique. It was exceedingly difficult for tests to be set for her. Many of the educators at Hogwarts were at a loss on what they could teach her, for their knowledge on her form of magic was limited as well. Attempts have been made to hire a tutor from foreign lands, but it turned out that, even from the fertile crescent between the Tigris and Euphrates, practitioners of her form of magic were extremely rare.

Iris picked up her staff from her side as she applied a small colouring charm ahead of her so as to make her food visible. Then, she dug in. Curiously, the Headmaster had not made an appearance this feast and it fell on Professor Flitwick, one of the professors from her faculty, to make the announcement that commenced the feast. Sadly, her time with the delectable food was cut short as a voice called curtly for her to follow it.

It was Professor McGonagall! But what had she done to warrant her attention? She got to her feet and followed after the professor as she led her carefully up a flight of stairs.

"Miss Potter, do you understand why you were called?" Almost immediately, the professor realised her faux pas and quickly added. "Just follow me, you will find out soon."

And soon she found herself within the headmaster's office. The bright bluish white hue of the headmaster smouldered brilliantly as he faced her.

"Miss Potter, I have called you here to discuss a few matters."

~The Greatest Grail War~

Dumbledore handed her a piece of paper and a quill and begun questioning her. He did not miss the uncomfortable look on her face and twitch of her lips as he mentioned that the man was probably within the castle right now. It would appear that Miss Potter knew quite a bit about the man. Perhaps she had brought him in? Perhaps he had forced her to get him into the castle? Soon, her discomfort became obvious as he pried more and more, even to the deputy headmistress. It was clear that Iris Potter had been in contact with the man before. Suddenly, it clicked. And the implications were horrendous. This man may have very well been the reason for Iris's disappearance and the deaths of the Dursleys.

"Miss Potter, answer me honestly, who is this man and how long have you known him for?"

She fidgeted and seemed to struggle with something within her. The Headmaster sent a legilimancy probe out, attempting to gather information regarding the man from her. After all, she could have played a role in the murder of the Dursleys. Just as he entered the pitch darkness of her memories, his well-honed instincts screamed for him to dodge. Only a century of watching his back as fearsome dark wizards terrorised Magical Europe gave him the mental acuteness and physical reflexes to avoid getting impaled by the numerous swords that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Despite his age, Albus Dumbledore was no slouch when it came to combat. After all, it was said that he was the only one which the Dark Lord had feared even at the height of his powers. He was perhaps the sole reason why the Dark Lord had not tried to assault Hogwarts itself. The aura which he gave off was calm, yet imposing, perfect for the numerous positions which he held. His very name inspired awe and respect amongst his fellow countrymen. Behind this reputation lay a man that could back it all up.

Firing a chain of powerful suppression curses at the general location where the swords had originated from, he braced himself for a next attack whilst simultaneously pushing Iris and McGonagall to the side of the room so as to prevent them from being caught in the crossfire. To his astonishment, there was nothing at the point at which the swords had come from. Instead, a new set of weapons rushed towards his undefended back. In a fluid motion, he cast 2 successive enhanced shield charms, one for himself, the other for the girl and the deputy headmistress. It managed to halt the weapons, albeit barely, although one weapon detonated upon impact, demolishing half of his office. He had no choice. This opponent was incredibly powerful and had forced his hand.

"Prisma Maxima"

"Terminus Lux"

Albus Brian Wulfric Percival Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards held another title. It was relatively unknown to members of the younger generations, yet to the older wizards and witches, it represented hope itself. The Lord of the Light, the one who vanquished the Dark Lord Grindelwald, who had brought ruin to magical Europe. It was both figurative and literal. It both celebrated his status as the one who brought peace to Europe, but it also represented his Manifest. Those who had fought alongside him in the Great Wizarding War would know, Albus Dumbledore was the most luminescent of them all.

His Manifest was a prism, a seemingly harmless object. Yet, paired with the set of spells that had been gifted to him as well by magic, its effects were deadly. As Albus Dumbledore casted those spells, rays of pure energy would be refracted, bent, then reflected as a magnificent band of brilliance that shone in all directions, vanquishing all in its path. It was peerless combination that graced the Headmaster's office at this very moment.

Rays of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, indigo raced out to the four corners of the office, annihilating anything it touched. The elderly Headmaster immediately leapt to the side of the other two in the room, conjuring a barrier that would keep them safe. The room steadily became brighter and brighter until an exuberant flash. Then, the light dissipated.

In the middle of the room stood the man in all his glory, glowing menacingly, seemingly unscathed by the awe-inspiring display of magic that had occurred just seconds ago. Dumbledore reeled in shock as he witnessed one of his trump cards get brushed aside as if it were nothing. This man was no wizard, his abilities to resist magic were a whole level, no, a whole dimension removed from the wizarding kind. This moment of hesitation was all it took for him to be thrown around like a rag doll and bound securely by massive chains, causing the Elder Wand to fall out of his grasp. The Headmaster knew, he had been well and truly bested. And now, the whole castle would pay the price for it…

The King of Heroes smirked. This was the extent of modern sorcery? It was pathetic. Even his amateurish dabbling in the field of magic outstripped the pitiful amounts of power that this supposedly powerful wizard could summon. However, now was not the time to contrast the two worlds that he knew. This fool before him had dared to sully his treasure. He had the nerve to bind her magic. How dare he. How dare he!

"You have ten seconds to tell me why I should not just eviscerate you right here and now." Golden portals appeared behind him, a shimmering blade protruding out of each and every one of them, reinforcing his threat and causing the old man's face to tighten with fear and anxiety. It was beautiful to witness, the destruction of such a carefully constructed façade to reveal the basest instincts of living creatures. The King of Heroes had always loved witnessing his victims give in to their primal urges. The fact that this was a man who exuded calm and collectedness before was the icing atop the cake, not to mention that he had defiled his treasures.

Ten

The man struggled, trying to break free of the hold the chain had on him.

Nine

Panic gripped the old wizard as the chains refused to budge, his face paled and sweat began pouring down his face and back.

Eight

"How does it feel, old man, to be bound by what you tried to bind?"

Seven

A jet of red light flashed in the room, only to ricochet harmlessly off a shield protruding out of a golden portal. The deputy headmistress stood with her wand at the ready, trying to turn the man's attention onto her in order to grant the headmaster some reprieve. Red, yellow and white jets of energy began to flow out of her wand, all homing towards the King of Heroes. Yet he just stood there calmly, the golden portals summoning shields over and over to protect his vulnerable points, causing all of the spell fire to be deflected harmlessly towards what remained of the office.

Six

"Time is running out old man, your answer or your head."

Five

 _Stop, Gilgamesh. Please stop._

His eyes narrowed as he terminated his mental countdown. Why was she pleading for him to stop? Then it occurred to him. She must have been unaware of what this disgusting fool had done to her.

"This man has bound your magic, Child of Gaia. Are you sure you still want me to spare him?"

A defiant nod of the head signalled to him that the old man was not fated to die this day. With a wave of his hand, the golden portals vanished, causing the Headmaster of Hogwarts to crumple to the ground, panting heavily and staring at the King of Heroes in trepidation. After a second of consideration, he understood that he could not kill him, for while he was a servant, she was still bound by the law of this country. The King of Heroes had vowed the night when he found her that he will never again let her pay the price for his mistakes. Hence, he would spare him for her sake, at least for now.

"It seems that I will have to let you live tonight, mongrel. Stay away from her, or your death shall come, and I will make sure that you will be pleading for it by the time I am done with you." Walking over and helping her up, they both vanished in a flash of golden sparks.

~The Greatest Grail War~

Fleur Delacour watched on as her servant spoke to her sister's servant. They had both known each other during their lifetimes, at least from what she knew about their history. One was a ruler, the other a warrior. Yet, whilst they were liege and subject, they remained like brothers, clearly holding a great deal of trust and respect for each other. It was good to know that her sister and her had gotten servants which would have great chemistry on the battlefield, for her sister was the only one she could fully trust to watch her back.

Letting her thoughts drift, she soon thought of the other servants. From what she had observed on the day of the summoning, the Archer and Lancer were incredibly powerful. Whilst she was fairly certain of the True Name of the Lancer of Black due to her tell-tale banner and demeanour, she had no idea who the Archer was. His incredibly high parameters, as well as certain traits he possessed suggested that he was a hero from the Age of Gods, after all, it was exceedingly rare for heroes from after that period to have such a high rank in Divinity. This was all she needed to know to understand that this servant was perhaps the most powerful one in the Beauxbatons line-up. She would need to watch out for this servant in the case where Beauxbatons had vanquished the other two teams, not just due to his strength, but because she was on bad terms with his master, Jeanne Roche.

Her thoughts arrived on the other servants. Honestly, they did not bother her. The only that she considered as a plausible threat was Berserker, as the rules of this grail war had severely damaged the capability of assassins to function. Whereas she thought that the Caster on this team was so weak that he would become a liability for them in due time.

She was also extremely curious about the servants the other two teams had summoned. It was so frustrating, knowing that she would have wait a full week before the Grail War officially started. She really wished to see the Heroes that have been brought forth to fight in this Grail War. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw as her servant sparred against her sister's, each wielding their legendary swords, trading blows at blinding speeds. This would truly be an interesting year.

~The Greatest Grail War~

This was her one opportunity. The one chance she had to show her rival who the finest student at Beauxbatons was. She had known this from the start, and hence had requested for her father to procure the most powerful catalyst that he could get his hands on. Whilst she was disappointed in the lack of available objects within her home continent due to the great hunt for catalysts before the Grail had chosen the masters, the bow which had arrived from the Orient had alleviated her fears. Her Aunt had been on a business trip there and took the opportunity to pick it up for her, having discovered it by chance. She instantly recognised the bow from the oriental mythological tales her mother would read her when she was young. If it was what she thought it was, then she truly would have one of the greatest warriors in history at her disposal.

And it was. Now, she had the tools to fulfil her objective. The elder Delacour would pay for what she had done to her all these years. She already had allies, with her close friends being the masters of Assassin and Lancer. An agreement had been reached between them to unite against the two sisters and take them out first if Beauxbatons had defeated the other teams.

She smiled, this would truly be an interesting year. And it would be her, Jeanne Roche's year.

~The Greatest Grail War~

"Let the blood of my enemies be the essence,

Let the Stakes of Destiny be the foundation.

Let Red be the colour I pay tribute to.

Let rise the wind that will fall my opponents.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Let it be filled.

Again, again, again, again.

Let it be filled fivefold for every turn, simply breaking asunder with each filling.

Come forth, the Seeker of Blood, the Aegis of the Nation, the King Who Lost Everything."

The runic circle turned crimson, the air around it crackling as the ritual took effect, bringing forth yet another Hero from the Throne. Viktor Krum focused his steely gaze on the circle. Whilst unhappy that he had been chosen to be a Master, it was still his duty to do his finest so as to not let down his school and the people who believed in him. He was the final master to summon a servant out of the ones in the Durmstrang faction. He had already seen several of his school mate's servants and heard many of them boast about the feats which their servants had accomplished in the past. From what he had witnessed, one of them had summoned a mighty knight who had slain a dragon and performed countless noble deeds while another had brought forth a great commander who came, saw and conquered.

Witnessing all of this had lighted a spark within him, which soon became a healthy flame of interest. He was curious, what Hero would he bring forth? Which historical figure would he command if he were to compete? This curiosity soon overpowered any initial feelings of doubts and unwillingness he felt and the International Quidditch player found himself preparing for the summoning ritual.

Now, as the ritual completed, a man on horseback appeared where the runic circle was just moments before. He had a deadly pale complexion, completed by a pair of cold grey eyes that radiated power and hair that was as light-toned as his skin. He wore a long black coat with a gold trim above deep blue robes. In his hand was a wickedly long grey spear, with a clearly defined blade at its tip. The majesty of his appearance was only enhanced by the warhorse he mounted, causing an aura to roll out from him, filling the room with his authority. Soon, he turned a freezing gaze onto the Durmstrang student.

"I am servant Lancer of Red, the King of this Land. I ask of you, young man of my blood. Are you my master?"

Of his blood? What was the servant referring to? His ancestry? No matter, this was to be expected after all, as the main catalyst he had used was a family heirloom, but it still amazed him that he would be related to such a huge figure in history. He would be lying if he said he was not proud of that.

"Yes, servant Lancer, I am your master."

"Good, we have much to discuss."

"Yes, we do."

"First and foremost, are you aware of my identity?"

"Yes, my father had told me of the servant I would probably summon using the catalyst which he gave me."

"Then, I trust that you are aware of the disrespectful and unpleasant legend which plagues me to this day?"

Unpleasant legend? "Are you perhaps referring to that tale concocted by an Irishman?"

"Not just that Irishman, many others have all but destroyed my reputation in the years after my death, even my own countrymen and subjects, those who I had spent my entire life defending. It disgusts me that they would interpret my actions in this manner. But it is not entirely unexpected, for who can understand the lonely man on the throne? People often have their own interpretations of the dead and I was unfortunate enough to have this interpretation become the legend that defined me." He paused, now visibly shaking in anger. "To me, it is unforgivable, for this joke had profaned the name of my entire family and cast a shadow of eternal shame over my honourable way of living."

The Durmstrang seventh year contemplated what the servant had said. He had definitely expected the servant to have a differing opinion on his reputation in the modern world. Even though he had suspected that the servant would not approve of the legends told about him based on reading the historical chronicles of his life, he never expected outright hate and distaste for it.

"You are right Lancer, for those who had selfishly hurt you and your family are unforgivable."

"We must prevent further shame for the honour of my country. That is my wish for the Grail, to remove that filthy legend from the history of this world once and forever! For that, we must win the war. Finally, let me mention this once, and only once. You are prohibited from using "that" Noble Phantasm. Even if I am to be defeated in a pathetic way, I will not use that Noble Phantasm! Furthermore, if you force me to use it with a command seal… Do I need to say what will happen to you?!"

"I understand, Lancer."

"Good. Now, let us make preparations for the war. Tell me everything you know about the upcoming war. Strategizing is paramount to our success."

Launching into an explanation regarding the rules and regulations of the war, Viktor conversed and plotted with his servant. Unknown to him, a lithe figure slid silently away from the door of the room, having heard everything that was mentioned earlier by both servant and master.

~The Greatest Grail War~

It was all so foreign to her. This must be what she had been missing for so many years. This was sight! It was difficult. Her mind, so attuned to attributing different things to their colour, was overwhelmed by the amount of new shapes and details she was witnessing. However, there was something, or rather someone that seemed familiar. She turned her eyes onto him. This must be what he looked like to others, truly the pinnacle of the human form. His hair, his eyes, his facial features, his arms, torso and legs, all proportioned to perfection. However, he was not alone.

She saw her. It was a paradoxical attractiveness to an unimaginable. This woman could hardly be described in words. Even as one who had never "seen" beauty before, she knew instinctively that this was something else entirely. She was similar to him, an image of transcendental beauty, beyond what the average being could ever dream of achieving. But perhaps the greatest thing that shook Iris was what he felt as he laid his eyes upon her. A massive gust of warmth that spoke of protectiveness, possessiveness and something else she did not comprehend fully emanated from him as he walked towards her, circling his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him.

"Enkidu…"

"My King…"

Their voices were gentle like the morning breeze, yet passionate like a blazing inferno, speaking volumes about how they felt about each other. The golden-haired king pulled his companion down onto a comfortable cushion that sat beside the gardens of his palace, filled with exotic flora and fauna. The king snapped a flower off its stem, gently placing it behind the ear of the one that lay in his embrace.

"I don't want this to end, Enkidu."

"As do I. But you are their king, Gilgamesh. For the sake of your people, you will need to face the creature that has caused the calamities in the past 7 years."

"Why do I have a need for these subjects anyway, when I could have you."

"There you go again, going on this silly train of thought." She knocked him lightly on the head, before chuckling. Her laughter resembled the flowing of the stream, clear, unrestrained yet gentle and delicate.

"No, I am being serious." He seemed to melt at the heavenly sound of her mirth, pouting slightly at her.

"Don't worry, my King. We've been through so much together; this task will be mild in comparison to the ridiculous adventures we had experienced. I will be by your side as we take down this beast. Once it is over, then we can spend as much time as we want together."

"You promise?"

"When have I ever let you down, my king…" Sometimes, she still felt like he was a child at heart. When she had met him, he was lost. He had forgotten his mission from the Gods as the keystone. It was her duty to set him upon the right path, or destroy him if she could not redeem him. However, she had eventually found out that his reason for forgetting his mission was not out of spite for the Gods, but instead out of curiosity and admiration for the species which he governed. He had seen their potential and wanted to see them develop and grow, to reach for the stars, to accomplish what the Gods themselves could not. That was the ultimate wish of Gilgamesh.

However, his way of accomplishing his goals was never simple, especially after he had grown into an adult. Recognizing that struggle gave rise to strength, the demigod abused his subjects, ruling with an iron fist and giving unto the people pain beyond imagination, all in a bid to force them to advance. It made his people resent him, for he was in all aspects, a tyrant who did not and will not care for the wellbeing of the individual, only for the greater good of humanity. Others might not have noticed it, but her heart broke as she witnessed him venting his frustration in private, livid and in despair that no one could understand him. It was then when she had decided to be that one that would provide him with a listening ear, an equal that would lift his burden off of his massive shoulders.

Their initial confrontation was one that shook the Earth to its very core. The world had ended and restarted for seven times by the time they lay exhausted beside each other, laughing to the heavens, grateful that they had finally found a match in each other. After their clash, they soon became the finest of companions, always by each other's side, battling whatever obstacles that stood in their way as one. They faced each challenge readily and triumphed each time without fail. Their adventures together had strengthened their bond and they rapidly become inseparable partners.

Through meeting him, she was able to fully understand what it meant to be human and gain what the Gods could not provide her with, a complete soul. And through meeting her, he had received someone who understood his every thought and action. Someone who would never turn her back on him. It did not take long for their unique friendship to turn into something deeper and more intimate. He claimed her, and she claimed him. Their union as man and woman was blissful beyond relief. It also brought about change in him. He had returned to the wise ruler he was during his childhood, easily bringing about prosperity to Uruk through his peerless rulership. Everything was right, until a night seven years ago.

The Goddess Ishtar, well known for her attractive appearance had decided to propose to Gilgamesh. However, she was promptly rejected due to her reputation as a harlot and on the basis that Gilgamesh already had a partner. Incensed, she begged her father to unleash the Bull of Heaven unto Uruk, and he relented at his daughter's pleas. For seven years, Enkidu watched on as her King's work was destroyed by the famines, floods and other calamities brought on by the Bull. It pained her, knowing that she could not do anything to help him. Until now. They had finally cornered the bull. Now, they were preparing to face it and end the suffering it had brought to the people.

She hoped that this adventure would end like the others, with victory firmly belonging to her and her King…

~The Greatest Grail War~

It's finished! Once again, thank you all for being so patient with me. After the next three weeks, I promise that the uploads will be much quicker as I will receive more free time after the end of my exams. For those who are really impatient, I'll just say that you can expect the next chapter in around a week or more.

Moving on, I will be answering some questions and responding to some comments that have been posted.

For those worrying that this Grail War is too "safe". Fear not, I have the very intention of turning the Grail War into something more sinister.

As for Iris, I agree that she is essentially an OC, bearing little resemblance to canon Harry Potter. Daniel perhaps can be considered as "Harry Potter" in an alternate universe though.

Regarding Merlin and Hogwarts, I think you can consider the universe of this story to diverge from canon of the Fate series and Harry Potter. Due to the vague nature of Arthurian legend, I will be making changes to some of it in my story. For example, in this universe, Hogwarts existed simultaneously with Camelot.

Just bear with me here. This world may seem very foreign at the start, because it's quite different from canon Harry Potter. But I promise I will do my best to introduce you all to it properly without too much exposition.

This week, the servants I will be revealing are Lancer of Blue and Rider of Blue. Once again, if they seem overpowered to you, just know that its fully intended.

Lancer of Blue

Master: Nicole Hilton (7th Year Ravenclaw (OC))

True Name: Ajax the Greater (The Bulwark of Greece)

Gender: Male

Birthday: Unknown

Height: 202cm

Weight: 95kg

Blood Type: Unknown

Place of Origin: Ancient Greece

Likes: Battle, Glory

Dislikes: Odysseus

Talents: Spear throwing, sailing

Abilities:

Battle Continuation: A

Magic resistance: D

Bravery: A+

This ability grants Ajax the capability to negate mental interference such as pressure, confusion and fascination. It has the bonus effect of increasing melee damage.

Divine Protection: D

Divine protection granted to Ajax by the Gods allows Ajax to gain 1 rank (up to a maximum rank of A) in the Luck and Strength parameter when in combat.

Teachings of the Grand Tutor: Pankration: B

As a student of the Great Tutor of Greek Mythology, Chiron, Ajax the Greater possesses great ability in the martial arts. Even if he is disarmed, he remains a great threat to anyone in melee range, with his ability to match Heroic spirits blow for blow with his bare hands and feet.

Eye of the mind (True): B

The Eye of the mind is a heightened capacity for observation, refined through training, discipline and experience. A danger avoidance ability that utilizes the intelligence collected up to the current time as the basis in order to predict the opponent's activity and change in current situation. This ability is passive and greatly increases the chances of Ajax winning a duel so long as there is a chance of winning.

Noble phantasms:

Rho Aias: Bulwark of the Archeans

Type: Shield

Rank: A

Range: 1-2

Maximum number of targets: 1-2

The shield made of seven layers of ox hide used by Ajax the Great in the Trojan War, said to be the only shield capable of stopping Hector's spear, Durindana. Its existence is sublimed into a conceptual weapon which is said to be the ultimate defense against throws. So long as Ajax wields this shield, he gains a form of clairvoyance which allows him to see any and all projectiles headed his way or about to head his way. It grants Ajax and unnaturally good defense against any form of attack.

Rho Aias: The Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens

Type: Barrier

Rank: A+++

Range: NIL

Maximum number of targets: NIL

The activated form of Rho Aias. In this form, Rho Aias is said to be seven flower petals made of light, with each flower petal layer. In this form, it is unable to be penetrated by any form of thrown attack, unless the attack is another conceptual weapon itself (E.g. Gae Bolg: Reverses cause and effect) or a cross dimensional attack, or a divine construct of a higher ranking than Rho Aias.

Untouched: Ajax the Unconquered:

Type: Anti-Unit

Rank: B

Range: NIL

Maximum number of targets: NIL

It is said that Ajax the Greater never suffered a single wound throughout the entire Trojan war, only ever coming close in his great duels against Hector. This has been sublimated into an ability which passively grants Aias protection against all attacks of B Rank or lower, regardless of the attack being physical or magical in nature. For Ajax to be damaged, the opponent must register an A rank attack, either through their strength statistic, or A rank magecraft, or an A rank noble Phantasm.

Atelos: The Spear of Man

Type: Anti-Unit

Rank: A

Range: 1-6

Maximum number of targets: 3-4

The Great Spear of the legendary Hero possesses the ability to decrease Luck parameters by 2 ranks when Ajax wields it in combat as a melee weapon. Hence, it possesses a remarkable accuracy in the thrusts that Ajax makes with it. When thrown, the Spear cannot be dodged and will require a shield of equal or greater rank to block.

Parameters of Ajax the Greater

Strength: A+

Endurance: A++

Agility: D

Mana: E

Luck: E

Noble Phantasm: A+++

Rider of Blue

Master: Daniel Potter

True Name: Artoria Pendragon (Goddess of Rhongomyniad)

Gender: Female

Birthday: Unknown

Height: 154cm

Weight: 42kg

Blood Type: Unknown

Place of Origin: Britain

Likes: Well Structured Meals, Stuffed Animals

Dislikes: Badly Structured Meals, Dressing up too much

Talents: Gymnastic Exercise, Gambling

Abilities:

Magic Resistance: A

Riding: A

Charisma: B

Having B rank in this skill is sufficient to lead a nation as a King or a Queen. The morale of military forces she commands is extremely high.

Instinct: A

Rank A instinct is essentially in the realm of predicting the future. Through this ability, it is possible to negate the penalties inflicted by visual and auditory interference to a certain degree.

Mana Burst: A

Mana burst is the increase in performance caused by infusing one's weapons and body with magical energy and instantly expelling it. Artoria uses this skill mainly for defense and high-speed movement. At Rank A, it is possible to strength a stick to become a weapon of great power through Mana Burst.

Blessings from the End of the World: A

A blessing granted automatically to wielders of Rhongomyniad. When activated, this ability boosts all parameters by 1 rank up to a rank of A+++. Activation is limited to the battlefield. This ability also passively grants healing powers against physical attacks up to a rank of B.

Noble Phantasms:

Rhongomyniad: The Spear That Shines to The Ends of The Earth (Restrained)

Rank: A+

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 2-8

Maximum number of targets: 1-2

Rhongomyniad, also known as Ron is the Holy Lance wielded by King Arthur, it is regarded in the same light as the Holy Lance Longinus that pierced the Messiah. It is the tower of light which acts as one of the anchors that fasten together the skins of the planet, existing to ensure the world's stability. The tower of light has been sublimated into a spear that can penetrate anything and everything, as well as cause massive damage if used as a lance and driven into an enemy at speed on a mount. However, its true power is held back by 13 seals, half of which must be released for the Light at the End of the World to be unleashed.

Rhongomyniad: The Heavenly Light that Pierces the Shroud (Unrestrained)

Rank: EX

Type: Anti-Fortress (Anti-World at full potential)

Range: 1-500

Maximum number of targets: 1000

When all of its restraints are released, Rhongomyniad turns into the Tower of Light which binds the world. It then unleashes the light from the Ends of the Earth, annihilating anything and everything in its path via conceptual destruction, simply deleting the concept and idea of the target from the collective consciousness and unconsciousness of Earth and humanity. If enough magical power is poured into the attack, Rhongomyniad releases the lynchpin which holds the world in its place, effectively destroying the world and recreating it anew, ending the Age of Humanity and restarting the Age of the Gods.

Caliburn: Golden Sword of the Victorious

Rank: B+ (Fame boosted: A)

Type: Anti-Unit/Anti-Group

Range: 1-30

Maximum number of targets: 1-2/5-20

Caliburn, the holy sword that symbolises the right to be king, with the words "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone is rightwise king of all England" became the symbol of England's King of Knights. The sword, once pulled out, caused Artoria Pendragon to cease being fully human and for her to stop aging. If the sword is wielded in battle, it converts magical energy into heat and releases it in the form of light particles, cutting through enemies with ease with its mighty blows. It has the potential for the same firepower as Excalibur. However, if used in such a manner, it would be unable to withstand the magical energy needed to power up such a blow and break. Hence, it is used more like a traditional sword, swung at individual enemies or its area of effect version used against small groups of enemies.

When wielding Caliburn, Artoria Pendragon gets the effect of Divine Protection Rank C.

Excalibur: Sword of Promised Victory

Rank: A++

Type: Anti-Unit/Anti-Fortress

Range: 1-200

Maximum number of targets: 1-2/1000

The other divine sword which the King of Knights possesses, considered to be the pinnacle of Holy Swords whose only equal is the demonic sword Gram, and one of the ultimate God-forged weapons, crystallized with the wishes of mankind stored and tempered within the planet. It is considered the greatest fantasy, one of the most powerful noble phantasms to have graced the grail wars. In battle, Excalibur is usually shrouded by the noble phantasm Invisible Air in order to conceal Artoria's True Name.

Excalibur is a sword which converts its user's magical energy into offensive power and releasing it. When activated, its speed, attack power and reach are extremely potent, with only Enuma Elish being the only recorded Noble Phantasm to surpass it in raw power. It is an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm due to its magnitude and destructive power and is capable of disintegrating anything in its way by pounding it into its base elements.

Invisible Air: Bounded Field of the King

Rank: C

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 1-2

Maximum number of targets: 1

Invisible Air is a sheath of wind that covers Excalibur and in this case, Caliburn as well so that they cannot be easily recognized as King Arthur's Holy swords. It is a bounded field made up of multiple layers of wind compressed into super-high-pressure air with a massive amount of magical energy, which distorts the refraction of light and renders what is inside it completely invisible. It grants Artoria an advantage as Invisible Air increases the cutting power of each attack and causes the opponent to be unable to discern the length, girth and range of her attacks. When released, the air causes a vacuum to form around Artoria, allowing her to travel at incredible speeds towards a target.

Llamrei: Mount of the King

Rank: D

Type: Mount

Range: NIL

Maximum number of targets: NIL

The mount of King Arthur, according to the Welsh tale "Culhwch and Olwen". It lacks the fame which its owner possesses and hence is nothing more than a superior horse that can travel at blistering speeds and have much better endurance than normal horses.

Parameters of Artoria Pendragon:

Strength: B

Endurance: B (Fame boosted: A)

Agility: C

Mana: A

Luck: A+

Noble Phantasm: EX

Again, thanks for reading and supporting this story.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello! Once again, I'm really sorry about the delay in updating. But on the bright side, my exams are finally over! Thank you all for being patient with me. The next few updates will definitely come in a shorter span of time. I promise!**

 **(As usual, do review!)**

The Bull of Heaven charged once again, this time impacting against a mighty tree by the river bank, instantly demolishing it, barely missing the golden King that stood beside the tree just a moment ago. It was an ugly beast of titanic proportions, stretching out a full hundred meters, with horns as massive as a century old pine tree. It's golden eyes promised pain and suffering whilst its every step made the Earth tremble. Due to the influences of Ereshkigal, its very presence brought upon the mortal world a miasma of death and darkness. Truly, it was a divine beast without equal, capable to laying waste to anything and everything.

It was this beast that had roamed the lands around Uruk for the past 7 years, demolishing crops, massacring villages who lived on the outskirts of the city and even causing the rain to stop falling. Drought, famine and disease struck Uruk simultaneously, bringing the city to its knees, its people broken and defeated. Even its king, the mighty Gilgamesh, would have been in despair had it not been for her. Her words soothed and invigored him, giving him the strength to carry on. 4 years ago, on the day of harvest, their resilience and courage paid off. During the harvest month, an elaborate ambush was set by the King and caught the Bull unawares. Spears, swords and javelins were hurled in their hundreds from the King's army and mighty treasury whilst chains, nets and harpoons were fired to pin the great beast down. As the Bull of Heaven was distracted, Gilgamesh and Enkidu led the charge, weapons glinting in the sun.

The battle had lasted for barely an hour, but the damage was done, the Bull of Heaven was severely injured and fled as soon as it gathered the strength to break free of the constraints placed on it, trailing blood as it ran into the forests north of the farmlands. The people cheered in jubilation as the beast was driven off, they would finally have food on their table after nearly half a decade of starvation. Not only did they celebrate the respite they will be receiving, they celebrated their King's extraordinary actions. The afterparty of the battle continued on for 3 days and nights, with the city celebrating its great king and his heroics.

However, that exuberant mood was gone by the time the next harvest season rolled around. The people were apprehensive, afraid that the Bull will come once more. Thankfully, it did not. This occurred for the next few years, with the Bull staying clear of Uruk, although tales of it terrorising the mountainous tribes to the north continued to spread throughout the city. Despite that, the Bull soon became forgotten, only existing in the deepest recesses of the people's minds. Until this year. Early in the Spring, many patrols on the borders of Uruk began mysteriously vanishing, often leaving behind mangled corpses. Gilgamesh immediately recognized what was happening. The Bull was returning. Throughout Spring and Summer, the villagers on the outskirts of the kingdom began reporting an increased number of sightings of the Bull. It appeared to be completely healed, ready to take on Uruk again.

Finally, on the Summer Solstice, it struck without warning, annihilating the northern wall of the great city with one charge, causing the titanic structure to heave and give. It barrelled straight towards the palace, trampling countless people unfortunate enough to be caught in its path. It tore through the palace gates, massacring the royal guard and even killing the grand vizier. Luckily, the King and his bride were on an inspection tour and were not present in the city itself. The Bull, seemingly realising this fact, backed out as quickly as it had come in, vanishing in a trail of dust, leaving only destruction in its wake.

News of the assault spread rapidly and soon, an irate Gilgamesh was surveying the remnants of the palace. Not even he had foreseen this, or rather, he did witness it in a dream beforehand, but had rejected this possibility outright. Surely the Bull would not dare to attack his stronghold directly. But it did, and now he was being made a fool. The border patrols were increased, with each patrol doubling in manpower and armed to the teeth with weapons specialized in injuring the Bull. In the meantime, the King would oversee the rebuilding and reinforcing of the city walls.

The measures put in place worked out well enough, with the Bull being chased off at every turn. As Autumn came, the Bull became increasingly desperate and took a massive risk by trying to brute force its way through the newly rebuilt northern wall. It was a mistake. The soldiers of Uruk immediately descended upon it and cornered it. Despite that, the beast was the most dangerous when cornered. Lashing out, it sent many soldiers flying whilst goring others to death with its wicked horns. The patrols began to back off, wary of the heavenly being. It seemed that it would be able to escape again. However, that was when the Golden King arrival was announced with a hail of arrows, pelting onto the thick hide of the Bull. Once again, these two were now engaged in combat.

Gilgamesh leapt up again, deftly landing onto the tree that stood behind him, once again avoiding the charge of the Bull before drawing deeper into his vault and summoning magic laced weapons of the highest quality. They were used as projectiles, exploding as they connected with the ground near the Bull. For a beast its size, it was nimble and thus dodged most of Gilgamesh's weapons. Once again, it was on the move, seeking to trample the King beneath its hooves. Another tree toppled over, crushing a soldier that had wandered into the area it fell on. The Bull charged on, relentless in its pursuit of its prime target, unwilling to give him a moment of rest. Golden lances of light streaked through the air, homing for the Bull. Some managed to glance off the hide of the Bull, but none of it did any lasting damage.

Then, an idea struck the Golden King. Pulling out a cloak gifted to him by a foreign merchant as a gift, he donned it. Instantaneously, two, then four copies of him appeared, surrounding the great beast. For a moment, it worked. The Bull of Heaven looked around in confusion, unsure of which way to charge. Then, Gilgamesh commanded the illusions to distract the Bull by deliberately approaching it whilst he snuck close to the exposed belly of the beast. It would have worked, had it not been the Bull sensing danger at the last possible moment to avoid the tempest of steel that poured out from underneath it. Leaping aside, it retaliated, taking advantage of the momentary shock that still pervaded the Golden King's judgment. Raising its powerful front legs, it kicked viciously, roaring in triumph as the hooves connected and the King was sent flying into another tree.

With blood drippling from the corner of his lips, Gilgamesh stood up shakily, still disoriented by the impact. He frantically looked around, searching for any signs of an impending attack, only barely avoiding another charge. This was a harder battle than he thought it would be. Reaching even deeper into his treasury, he began summoning some of his most valued possessions to be hurled as projectiles. One of them was the Vimana, a legendary ship which was said to be able to travel at the speed of thought itself. Gilgamesh boarded the ship and it sped off into the skies, leaving the Bull behind.

Gilgamesh then surveyed the battlefield from mid-air. The forest was utterly ruined, with swathes of trees completely disintegrated by either his weapons or the Bull itself. The surviving parts were barely clinging onto life, having been infected by the deadly miasma the Bull exuded. The massive figure of the beast was fully visible, and soon it came under attack by a barrage originating from the Vimana, consisting of the some of the most fearsome weapons ever known to humanity. The Bull's actions however, were confusing. Instead of heading deeper into the forest for more cover, it headed right for the open plains. It was trying to escape! Or so Gilgamesh thought.

Once the Bull had reached the plains, it began circling around, kicking up a massive dust cloud, rendering it impossible to spot it. Obsessed with killing the Bull, Gilgamesh descended the Vimana, ignoring the premonition that had flashed through his mind momentarily which had signalled that this was a fatal error. Once inside the dust cloud, it became abundantly clear that it was in fact, a trap. Unfortunately, Gilgamesh could barely react before the divine beast was upon him, knocking the Vimana out of the sky like swatting an insect and smashing him backwards with titanic force.

The Golden King fell, barely maintaining consciousness as the world spun around him. Through the pain and disorientation, he felt something even more disconcerting. The emotion was foreign, but seemingly familiar, as if it had always been there. It was a feeling that ate away from inside. It was irrational. It was inconceivable. It was utterly ironic. Yet, it was very real and invaded his every train of thought. Gilgamesh, the mighty King of Heroes, felt fear. Just like every other human being, he felt it. The utter terror as he witnessed the Bull bearing down on him at full speed. He did not want to die. He could not die. He wanted to live.

And live he did. A green and golden blur flashed by, driving the Bull back and pulling him out of the way. Her face was angelic as usual, her embrace warm as usual. But what was she doing here?! Gilgamesh had specifically made sure that she did not follow him, for she was now with child for six months. Due to this, her abilities have been severely inhibited due to the energy drawn by the life within her. Her presence here would only be dangerous for her!

"Why… how?"

Her eyes glinted with tears and indignation. "I told you we will handle this together. How could you just leave me behind? Do you know how worried I was when I first heard about the battle taking place outside the city?" Her fists lightly pounded his chests as she poured all her frustrations and worry into her words.

"I… You know that you are in no state to fight. How could I possibly let you be in danger?"

"You said so yourself. I am your equal. Do I not have the right to assist you in this battle? If I don't, what kind of equal does that make me?"

"Enkidu, I just… don't want to see you hurt."

"Hurt? My king, together we shall triumph over all, nothing can stand in our path if we fight together."

"Yes… together..."

The brief period of calm was shattered by a menacing growl, emanating from the great beast just a few hundred meters away.

"Stand and fight, my king. Together, we shall show this beast that we are not to be trifled with."

The battle recommenced as the bull once again raced towards them. The two moved with sync, albeit slightly off due to the extra-ordinary circumstances. However, their experience in fighting together showed as they foiled the Bull's every attempt to catch them unware. They fought and glided around fluidly, wearing the Bull down. However, it was a tenacious beast and refused to stay down even when injured. It fought tooth and nail, standing strong against the peerless duo. Its patience and resilience was rewarded. Eventually, the effects of the injuries Gilgamesh had sustained and Enkidu's pregnancy began to catch up. Their movements began to slow and grow sloppy. Sensing the weariness of its opponents, the Bull rallied and traded blows with even greater ferocity, its stamina seemingly endless.

Something had to give. And it did as the King and his companion were backed into a corner, trapped between a river and the Bull. Instead of charging them, the Bull spoke.

"Why, betrayer? Why side with him and defy those who had made you? It was your duty to bind him and return control to the Gods. But you instead aided him in his childish and petty actions."

"Because I found something in him that cannot be mirrored by anyone, not even the Gods themselves." Enkidu spoke with conviction, unflinching even in the face of a disadvantage.

"Hahahaha! Him? He is but an inconspicuous speck in the grand scheme of the world, just a spoiled and petty child. What could possibly be in this failure of a demigod that you see?"

She gritted her teeth. No one, not even the Gods had the right to judge and insult his dreams like that. They did not understand, no one did.

"Now, since you seem so committed to him. I shall grant you the joy of dying together…" Moments after finishing the conversation, the Bull charged.

To its surprise, the two figures ahead of him did not even attempt to avoid his unstoppable charge. It was disconcerting, especially when the green haired female stood in his way with eyes that burned in anger.

"Very well. Since the Gods themselves reject us, I will reject them. I have made my choice and it is to walk with the humans, to walk with him. This evocation is the song of the Earth, the breath of the planet, unbound, unrestrained by anyone. Come, let us restrain the Gods. Enuma Elish!"

A gargantuan surge of magical energy pulsed through the air, halting the Bull, causing it to pause and look on in awe and terror as the Earth beneath shone a brilliant golden and green. Then, without warning, countless golden chains sprung out of the ground, homing straight for the Bull. It tried to run from what it knew was impending doom, but its high divinity worked against it. Its identity as a divine beast made sure that there was no escape, for the chains literally bent time and space itself to ensure that it would bind the Bull of Heaven. Eventually, the Bull stumbled and the chains immediately caught up, tightly binding every extremity of the Bull, rendering it helpless against what was to come. Without any hesitation, Enkidu commanded the chains to pull in all directions at once, tearing the Bull of Heaven apart into many pieces.

As the remains of the beast collapsed lifelessly onto the ground. Realization set in for the Uruk soldiers. The battle was finally over, and they had finally won. Cheers and laughter broke out throughout the forest, not even the casualties sustained could dampen the mood of the soldiers. After all, after 7 long years, they literally triumphed over the Gods themselves.

Amidst the jubilant yelling and cries of victory, Gilgamesh walked over to her, holding her and congratulating her on the victory. However, something did not seem quite right. She felt, so, so tired. Although it could have been fatigue after exerting so much of her powers, but she knew it was not. There was a sense of finality in the coming darkness that would soon engulf her. Collapsing into his arms, her consciousness began to fade. But before that, she managed to figure out what was happening. This was it. They had finally reached past a tipping point for the Gods.

He felt it too. Distressed and alarmed, yet completely helpless as she continued to weaken in his embrace. Her life was slowly slipping away and he had no way to stop it. This was the will of the Gods and there was no denying it. She was their creation and they were now returning her to what she once came from. It was all his fault. If he had not angered them, she would not have to suffer like this, an ignominious end that she did not deserve. It was all his fault.

"Gilgamesh…" It broke his heart to see her like this, broken and dying. He so longed to save her, ironically even begging the Gods for their forgiveness. Yet nothing he said could reverse their decision. It seemed like the Gods had reached an agreement that they would not rescind. It was her fate to die here. Yet, why was she smiling? How could she smile in a time like this? He needed her so much.

"Why do you mourn, my king? You told me once… where there is life, there is death and that it is an immutable truth. It was just…"

"Because…" He was lost for words. It was unbelievable. He was just like every other person in his city. He did not want to lose her, did not want her to die simply because it was her. It did not matter if her death was just or deserved. He just wanted her to live.

"I wanted to be by your side… till the end of times. What should I do my King? Who will be there for you once I am gone? I don't want to leave you…"

Gilgamesh looked down upon the wilting frame of Enkidu, watching and reminiscing as she extended a hand up to caress his cheeks. Her voice was barely a whisper now.

"In sad times, in glad times, in times of regret… If I would mourn, it would not be for the Gods, or for a King…" Pausing to draw in a shuddering breath, Enkidu was only just able to muster enough strength to carry on.

"I would mourn for you… Yes… you were so much more human than you thought… Perhaps my death will make you realise that as well… Surely, I would see your tears this once…" Hearing this, a twinge of emotion sparked within the Golden King. It was truly puzzling. Even in death, she would make him experience these new and unfamiliar things.

"Gilgamesh… I wanted to keep seeing the world… together… with…you…"

Then, the forest was silenced by the cries of agony and despair of the King of Heroes. Everything was gone, save the golden chains that still glinted in the midday sun.

~The Greatest Grail War~

She was jolted awake with the end of the dream. What… had she just seen? It was very confusing. Was that Gilgamesh? Who was that woman whose death had caused him such sadness? Then, she felt something familiar. It was warm, yet slightly heavy. Attempting to sit up, she found herself pinned down by a familiar golden glow. She was shocked, yet something in her told her that this was right. Her arms, moving my themselves, encircled his back and pulled him towards her. He was so warm and comfortable.

"It is almost time for your meal, Child of Gaia. If you lay in bed any longer you will be late for your lessons." Looking down, he found her snuggled into him, fast asleep once again. A smile came to his face. This was living proof that she had not forsaken him and that she would always find her way back to his side. He had once again dreamt of the final confrontation with the Bull of Heaven, and of her death. But that had been a memory and regret of the distant past. It did not matter anymore, she was here. He would not fail her again.

Changing her out of her sleepwear, he carried her to the Great Hall and settled her down on the correct seat. Then, he roused her from slumber. Seeing her awkward and confused face as she woke up was always a pleasure as she blinked away her sleepiness.

"You are currently in the Great Hall for I have taken the liberty to assist you in getting ready for the day."

An awkward moment passed before her mind acknowledged and understood fully what had happened. She must have fallen asleep again after waking up. Thankfully, Gilgamesh had been helpful enough to ensure that she was going to be on time for all the lessons.

 _Thank you, Gilgamesh._

Then, turning to her food and ensuring that no one else was nearby, she applied the usual charms, allowing her to see the food. Deftly picking up the utensils, she began filling up her plate with food. The Head of her faculty, Professor Sinistra soon approached her and handed over the timetable, appropriately charmed so she would be able to read it properly. She would be tutored privately today, separate from the rest of the student body, except for the Specialization in Magic class, which she would be having together with her peers in the faculty.

"Who do you think that is? I have never seen her before. A transfer student?"

"Who cares, she's absolutely gorgeous. Do you think she will be interested in being friends with me?"

Her identity was still somewhat a mystery due to her looks being a far cry from what her peers had known. Perhaps it would be best if it stayed this way. She just wanted to be left alone with herself and her magic.

"Come on, are you really that stupid? If you paid any attention last night, you would have seen her go into the dormitory meant for Potter. I think she did the discovery ritual over the holidays and it turned her into this form." Another voice, this time one not associated with bad memories. This girl had been nothing but nice to her over the past few years, but she had always pushed her away due to her own fears.

"What I am more curious about is that golden-haired man beside her. Who do you think he is? He's simply… male perfection embodied." One of them sighed as she feasted her eyes upon the magnificent sight of the great King's divine form.

"What?! That's Potter? The scrawny, antisocial squib turned into this beauty? I am finding it hard to believe, Mary." The boy from before had recovered from his initial shock. Unfortunately, he was not the most adept at being tactful in his words. However, after so many years, these kinds of words just floated over her. "Well whatever, she's cute enough and plus, it's never too late to get to know someone."

"How many times must I tell you to be careful of how you speak Michael? First of all, she's not a squib, the Professor explained to us many times. She has a special form of magic that makes her unable to cast spells like us. If anything, we should all be jealous of the private tutoring she receives." Turning to the female companion of hers, she continued, "And also, there are rumors that the golden-haired man being the one causing the injuries that the infamous fifth year trio of bullies had suffered yesterday. So, you might not want to approach him more carefully. Honestly, I believe him to be some sort of bodyguard for her."

"Nonsense… do you see the rags that she normally wears? How can someone like that afford a bodyguard? Maybe he is someone she seduced?"

"Come on, that's just absurd. Headmaster Dumbledore would definitely not allow for an unregistered person to be on the campus grounds for such frivolous reasons. Besides, have you seen her nightgown last night? It was the softest and finest looking silk I have ever seen, with golden designs embroidered onto it. I kid you not, those designs looked like they were made out of actual gold. Maybe she ran into a rich family who took her in?"

As the discussions continued, Iris sighed internally. This was exactly what she had hoped to avoid, attention from others regarding the inconsistencies of her appearance and clothing, as well as him. Undoubtedly, there would be plenty of people approaching her, questioning her, interrogating her without a care for her privacy. She only hoped that the interest in these changes she had gone through would simply fizzle out quickly. They should leave her alone, for their and her own good. Unbeknownst to her, a few different individuals were contemplating much more serious matters as they saw the Golden King.

~The Greatest Grail War~

He could not believe his eyes. But as they say, seeing is believing. All of his senses told him that the man standing close to his sister was a servant, an incredibly powerful one at that.

But how was it possible? The Hogwarts faction was already rounded out with 7 servants, one of each class. But now, an eighth servant had entered the fray, appearing in the vicinity of Hogwarts. This was not good. Glancing up at the Head table, he found Dumbledore to be absent from his usual seat. It could have just been a coincidence, but it did not strike him as one. His sister disappearing during the holidays, then returning with a servant, coupled with Dumbledore's sudden absence was too suspicious a series of events.

"Hermione, do you notice something off about that man over there?"

"Yes Daniel. Last night, Caster had told me about a presence of unbridled power entering the castle. So my guess is that the man over there is the source of all that. He is most certainly a servant. However, what we need to find out is which side is his master on and who this servant is."

"Agreed. Why not we hit the library later after Transfiguration and try to figure out the identity of the servant."

"Sure, do I tell Ron to come along?"

Daniel sighed. Ron was always a troubling subject. Just before the summer holidays, when the Holy Grail War had been announced, he had been really excited to get a chance to participate in the event. Truth be told, Ron did understand that his chances of getting selected were quite minuscule and hence he would not have minded if he was not chosen by the Grail. What really ticked Ron off was the fact that the two of his best friends had been selected. All of his insecurities, envy that were suppressed by the adventures they had in their 3 years surfaced. It culminated in a massive argument that had left Hermione in tears and the trio split.

Over the holidays, Hermione and Daniel had reconciled, and were focusing on dealing with the Grail War. Ron however, still returned their letters with curt remarks that were neither here nor there. Neither of them had dared to approach Ron yet, in fear of another incident similar to the one at the end of the last school year. Furthermore, with Ron being switched to the sub-Faculty of Elemental Creatures, they no longer shared classes and dormitories, and hence greatly reduced their time available for each other. This put a timer on the trio. If they did not resolve their issues properly within the next year, it was likely that they would drift apart.

Daniel would certainly not like that to happen. Despite all of his faults, Ron was a loyal, humble and down to earth friend with a wicked sense of humour. He missed him. But he was also making it so hard for them to sit down and talk by avoiding them during both the previous night's feast and breakfast.

No matter, he had more important things to worry about these days. With his sister appearing with a servant, things were getting complicated. It is possible that there is something wrong with the Grail War. With his horrendous luck and penchant for finding trouble, Daniel knew that something was not right.

His sister. Another sore spot. But he knew and understood what Dumbledore did and said regarding her. How he wished it did not turn out this way. It left a bitter taste in his mouth every time he saw her, thin, wearing rags that the muggles she lived with considered a "blessing". With each passing year it became worse. First went her eyesight. She was barely eight back then. He had personally seen her struggling to complete even the simplest of tasks in the first days after her eyes had lost their shine during a discreet visit to the Dursleys.

But what hit him the hardest was when she simply became silent. They were both in their first years. She was a target, a punchbag for those disgusting people. He begged and begged his parents and Dumbledore to stop this treatment she was enduring. The constant taunting, the physical assaults and the ostracization grew so severe that the teachers could no longer turn a blind eye to it. She was isolated from her peers and seniors. It was too late, she would no longer respond to them. Even when she did, not a single word was uttered from her lips.

He held a deep respect for Professor Sinistra. She had been the one to stop his sister from ending it all during the second year. On a stormy night at the top of the Astronomy tower, she saved her as the young girl tried to leap off the tower, desperate to be free from life itself. The Professor did not just stop there. Instead, she covered for the fees for the mental therapy that his sister had to go through afterwards. Furthermore, she also provided for her to receive special courses when it was found out that she could not perform any spells due to incompatibility of her magic with their modern methods.

He was also awed by the resilience and strength his sister showed. Despite everything she had went through, it did not diminish her love for magic. She would always be in the library, seeking knowledge or within the practice rooms allocated, perfecting whatever she had learnt. He had spied on her beneath the invisibility cloak more than once before, and it was astounding to watch her complete rituals and complex spells with amazing precision. Even so, he believed that every year, she suffers through things a human being should not be allowed to go through. When the time comes, he wonders if there would even be anything left to sacrifice.

He was disgusting. So were his parents, so were the Dursleys, so was Dumbledore and so were everyone who had interfered in her life. The things they had done to this innocent little girl. He wanted to blame fate itself, but fate was intangible, always ensuring that the humans carried out the dirty work. And they had so willingly done so. They were utterly revolting as human beings, undeserving of any redemption. But Daniel believed in Dumbledore's ideals, his own ideals. What was their pride, reputation and morality to the lives of the entire wizarding community?

This year however, had brought an entirely foreign element into the equation. Words cannot describe how he felt when his sister had vanished. On one hand, he felt a tiny bit glad, that he would not have to carry out the deed itself and that his sister was finally released from the burden she carries. However, she was still his sister, the one closest to him. Confronted by a tempest of emotions, he wept and wept as his parents and Dumbledore tried their utmost to find her. The issue revolving around his sister had taken its toll on his parents as well. Lily Potter and James Potter had not aged well. The handsome youth and beautiful lady had become a pair of sullen and moody middle-aged people.

He wanted to curse fate again. But then he saw her on the opening day of the school year. She had seemed healthier than ever, and although she still distanced herself from everyone, those eyes of hers shone an unearthly and mesmerizing blue and golden. Had he not constantly reminded himself that he was her brother, he would have joined the various boys in his faculty that spouted lecherous comments about her the moment they laid their eyes upon her. Perhaps she had been given a chance by another, kinder family? He did not really understand the reasons behind the changes that had come to her life. But he was glad for it. She deserved happiness, moreso than any single one of them.

Then, the servant appeared. He still did not understand the implications and causes for this strange occurrence. He hoped that it would end well for all of them. He then reminded himself of the plan that Dumbledore had laid down this year. It was brilliant and created the opportunity to finish off the Dark Lord in one swift stroke. Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth unconsciously, Daniel Potter strengthened his resolve. It was all for the Greater Good.

~The Greatest Grail War~

It was finally here! The first lesson of the Magical Specialization course. Ignoring the routine taunts directed towards her, she focused all her attention on the crimson shape that was trying to silence the class and get the session started.

"Now, we of the Faculty of Heavenly Bodies will be conducting all of our Magical Specialization lessons at night in the field due to the nature of all of your Manifests. So, do take note of that. Especially you Mr. Finnigan. Tardiness will not be tolerated in my class. Is that clear?"

"Yes professor." Chorused the class.

"Perfect. Now, if you had followed the instructions of your Head of Faculty, you would have conducted the ritual of discovery during the holidays. I must impress upon you that this ritual is extremely important and you must do it before attending this new course. So, can I have a show of hands, who has not conducted the ritual yet?"

The students were clearly all anticipating the lesson, hence for once, no one had incomplete homework.

"Very good class, if you continue to be conscientious towards the instructions and work given, I say we would have a very smooth year ahead of us. Now, I believe most of you understand what a Manifest is, as the basics of the Manifest should have been taught in your previous 3 years of education here. So, let us not waste any time going through knowledge you should know by heart by now." Brandishing her wand, she drew letters in the air. It spelled "Ostendius".

"First off, we have the revealing spell. This spell will cause your Manifest to show itself in a certain manner that is obvious for you, and all of us to see. The incantation is spelled here. Do not take out your wands yet. Just follow my actions and words."

"Ostendius".

"Ostendius".

"Let us try again. Ensure that your pronunciations are exact and clear. Your movements must also be sharp. A mistake when casting this spell may have unforeseen consequences and we certainly do not wish for accidents to happen to anyone."

After multiple tries and corrections by the Professor, the class was getting impatient. After what seemed like an eternity, the professor finally allowed them to take out their wands. The class was lined up and were going to perform the spell one by one. First in line was Lisa Turpin, who waved her wand confidently. All of a sudden, a ghostly silvery glow appeared in the sky in an area that seemed empty.

"Ah, a round of applause for the splendid execution of the revealing spell. Congratulations Miss Turpin, that silver glow right there is your Manifest. It appears that your magic is tied to the second largest moon of Jupiter, Callisto. Not a particular surprise, considering that your late maternal Grandmother has had the identical Manifest. Now, I will be providing you with the appropriate documents and assignment you will have to complete by next week at the end of the lesson."

With a brief flick of her wand, the Professor cancelled the revealing spell and called for the next student to demonstrate the spell.

That night saw a multitude of stellar objects light up, ranging from objects as minuscule as Phobos, one of the moons of Mars, to massive objects such as the planet of Mercury itself. So boisterous was the conversation about the Manifests that no one noticed a young girl drawing a ritual circle on the ground a short distance away from the main queue of students.

"Miss Potter, what are you doing there? It is your turn to demonstrate the spell." The heads of the previously chatting students glanced up. The Professor was gesturing at Iris Potter, who was just finishing her runic circle on the ground.

"Hey Professor, don't bother, it's not like she can actually perform magic anyway." Sniggers followed this proclamation. However, it seemed as if the girl was not perturbed by the taunts. Instead, she produced a piece of parchment and handed it over to the Professor, who scrutinized it before nodding at her.

"Very well then, let us see what you can do with the runic circle. According to this parchment, it will function quite similarly to the spell so we should be seeing similar results."

Bowing her head gratefully, Iris walked into the center of the runic circle, waving her staff around in several complicated motions. Suddenly, the runic circle glowed a bright blue and vanished into the night. It was followed by a few moments of utter silence. The calm before the storm. Yet, there were many who did not sense the tension building in the air. Instead, they began mocking her again, convinced that the lack of reaction was caused by her ineptness.

"Look at her, it's pathetic, thinking that she can use magic just by using different methods. Give it up squib, just accept that you are inferior to all of us. That you will never be able to..."

The scathing remarks were suddenly cut off by a searing pulse of blue that emanated from Iris's very body. Those who glanced up were immediately forced to look away as a blue flare lit up the night sky, shining in all of its glory and radiance, rivalling and even exceeding the moon in brightness. The air crackled as bolts of magic struck the ground in close vicinity of the girl. Then, the flare abruptly turned golden and simultaneously, a shockwave raced through the area, flattening everything in its path. The students and professor were thrown aside, and the stands and goals of the quidditch field groaned before giving way and collapsing as the shockwave impacted them. However, the magic in the air did not dissipate. The flare now shifted to a pure white and another torrent of pure magical energy raced out from the girl.

"Rho Aias!" The yell could barely be heard over the howling of the wind. However, its effects were much more visible. An extraordinary violet shield appeared in the sky, shielding a massive area from the effects of the tide of pure energy. It had seven layers, each glowing with power, and was shaped like a flower at its core. It brought a sense peace and tranquility to the ones behind it, as if all the dangers of the world would not be able to penetrate this titanic object. It was soon put to the test as the first set of shockwaves crashed against the shield, causing it to shudder and reverberate to produce a deep and ominous ring.

The flare shifted colors over and over again, each time causing a massive discharge of energy. The shield blocked it all, despite the increasingly more powerful waves of energy pounding into it. That was, until the flare turned a deep red. This time, as the energy reached the shield, it broke layer after layer, cutting through the supposedly invincible bulwark like a hot knife through butter. It was seemingly unstoppable, until it glanced off of the final layer of the shield, leaving the students behind the shield trembling in fear as the energy wave dissipated, along with the flare. Something about that final flare had resonated with their beings and had left them drained as well as afraid.

He witnessed it all. What a marvelous display of her raw power. It was truly captivating, to watch someone channel the might of the stars themselves. He only knew of two individuals that could accomplish this feat. Any remaining doubt about her identity that still existed within him were quashed as soon as he saw the final red flare. This was rupture, the truth of the world itself, imprinted into the genetic memories of every living being. This was something that could only ever be wielded by him, and of course, her. As the light vanished, he materialized onto the field, which had been rendered completely lifeless by that display. Cradling her unconscious form in his arms, he vanished into the night in a shower of golden sparks.

~The Greatest Grail War~

It is finally finished! Hope you all enjoyed it! Surprisingly, not many questions in the reviews this time, so I won't have to answer any. For anyone who thinks that this is proceeding at too slow a pace, fear not, the next chapter will have the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang factions arrive at Hogwarts. I promise that the events at Hogwarts will be more than "just a grail war" and I cannot wait to start writing about the events that transpire afterwards. I will be revealing the final 3 servants of the Hogwarts Faction. Not many people managed to guess Berserker, so I think it will be a nice surprise for those not expecting this heroic spirit to be summoned in that class.

(Final note: In case you did not understand the first part of this chapter, just think of it as a continuation of the end of last chapter, we are still in a dreamscape.)

Caster of Blue

Master: Hermione Granger

True Name: Myriddin Emyrs (The Grand Magus)

Gender: Male

Birthday: Unknown

Height: 182cm

Weight: 72kg

Blood type: Unknown

Place of Origin: Britain

Likes: Women, Alcohol

Dislikes: Morgana

Talents: Picking up female servants, being perverted, Gambling

Abilities:

Territory Creation: B (Fame boosted to A+)

Territory Creation is a Caster class skill that allows the servant to build a territory that is advantageous for him/her.

Item Construction: B

Item construction is a Caster class skill which grants the user the ability to construct magical items. Merlin himself was a practitioner of this and created various artifacts for King Arthur and his subordinates.

Dreamlike Charisma (Charisma): A

Being half incubus, Merlin possesses a form of Charism that is closer to an enchantment than a personal quality. He is easily able to manipulate others, particularly females to do his bidding and easily tricks people into believing what he wishes for them to believe. Military forces facing Merlin would face a significant drop in morale whereas those fighting on the side of Merlin would experience a significant increase in fighting spirit and morale.

Illusionism: A

Illusionism at Rank A allows for Merlin to easily induce nightmares and plant false thoughts into human's minds. At this rank, Merlin is also able to create illusions on a scale of a single village in reality and even begin deceiving the environment.

Friend of the Fae: C

This ability grants Merlin the ability to draw a limited amount of energy from elementals which exist on the Reverse side of the world, in particular fairies. It allows Merlin to maintain his projections and Territory for an extended period of time and reduces the strain on Merlin's master.

Grand Caster: C

Instead of using normal attacks. Merlin employs a host of magical spells which he created himself for his basic attacks. Each spell hits on average with the force of a C Rank Noble Phantasm.

Noble Phantasms:

Sight of the Magus: The Eyes Which See Through the World:

Rank: A

Type: Clairvoyance

Range: NIL

Maximum number of targets: NIL

Merlin possessed clairvoyance bestowed upon the greatest of Mages, on par with that of Solomon's. His form of clairvoyance was able to see past where a person stands, capable of foreseeing the future and reading the fate of individuals, having foreseen the fall of the Round Table and Britain's crisis. It grants Merlin the ability to make the right judgements based on what will be. In battle, Merlin can use this form of Clairvoyance to predict the moves of his opponents and allies and make the correct adjustments. However, this costs additional mana.

Tower of Avalon: The Lake from which Salvation Arises

Rank: A+

Type: Bounded Field

Range: 500

Maximum number of targets: NIL

Merlin's territory would take on the form of the lake and surroundings from which King Arthur gained the Sword of Promised Victory. By activating this ability, Merlin and his allies gains 1 rank in all parameters, including his Noble Phantasms when inside the Territory. In addition to this, all allied Masters who step within the bounded field gains a boost in their magical abilities and mana pool. Finally, the bounded field lowers the luck and endurance parameters of Merlin's enemies by 1 rank when battling within the field.

Star of the Magus:

Rank: A

Type: Anti-Army

Range: 100-200

Maximum number of targets: 1000

Upon activating this Noble Phantasm, Merlin calls down a Star from Heaven (Meteorite), instantly wiping out anyone and anything in the vicinity of the impact zone.

Parameters of Merlin:

Strength: D

Endurance: D

Agility: B

Mana: A++

Luck: A

Noble Phantasm: A+

Assassin of Blue

Master: Emily Jones (7th Year Slytherin (OC))

True Name: Jack the Ripper (The Hunter of the Night)

Gender: Female

Birthday: Unknown

Height: 134cm

Weight: 33kg

Blood type: Unknown

Place of Origin: United Kingdom

Likes: Reika Rikudou

Dislikes: The world

Talents: Dissection

Abilities:

Presence Concealment: A+ (Fame Boosted: EX)

At EX rank, Jack the Ripper literally melds into the environment she is in. She is unable to be detected even by True Sight, and her actions can only be successfully "seen" by Clairvoyance of the same level, such as Gilgamesh's noble phantasm, Sha Nagba Imuru.

Information Erasure: B

At B rank, information regarding the servant's True Name, abilities and appearance are removed from witnesses (including the opponent) even if the battle took place in broad daylight or was recorded via digital means. Evidence of the battle however, is not removed from the battlefield.

Mental pollution: B

Provides a strong defense against any form of mental interference magecraft, rendering most ineffective.

Murderer of the Misty Night: A

This ability allows Jack to launch a preemptive strike against any opponent. It is a conceptual ability which reverses cause and effect. With the cause being the attack and the effect being that the victim is unarmed and unguarded. This ability can be used without restriction at night whereas in the daytime, a luck check is required and terrain plays a role.

Surgical Procedure: E (Fame Boosted: D)

This ability allows for Jack the Ripper to conduct surgical repair with use of a bloodstained scalpel.

Thousand Faces: A

Thousand Faces allows Jack the Ripper to transform herself into any human occupation, animal or object that has been presented as the true identity of "Jack the Ripper" and make use of any skills the target possesses, weakened to Rank D.

Noble Phantasms:

The Mist: Darkened Misty Metropolis

Rank: B+

Type: Barrier

Range:1-10

Maximum number of targets: 50

This Noble Phantasm is the recreation of the smog which filled newly industrialized London's streets using mana and sulfuric acid to create a bounded field. It has a negative effect on all that enter it. It causes all Heroic Spirits which enter the mist to have a decrease in the Agility, Luck and Endurance parameter by 1. Jack the Ripper is almost impossible to track in this Mist, especially due to her EX ranked presence concealment, which sometimes conceals the mist partially as well. Normal humans will perish within the Mist without doubt, whereas Mages require a certain level of Magecraft in order to leave unharmed.

Maria the Ripper: The Holy Mother of Dismemberment

Rank: B~A+

Type: Anti-Group

Range: 1-10

Maximum number of targets: 20

This Noble Phantasm is the sublimation of Jack the Ripper's murder into a conceptual weapon. It is a set of 4 strangely shaped knives. Under normal conditions, the blades can be used to deal physical damage to enemies. However, if the following 3 conditions: the target is a woman, it is nighttime, it is misty, are met, the Noble Phantasm receives a large boost in Rank and power, allowing for the attack to guarantee instant death. The attack is a curse, rather than a direct physical assault and hence can be conducted from range.

Parameters of Jack the Ripper:

Strength: C

Endurance: C

Agility: A (Fame boosted to A+)

Mana: C

Luck: E (Fame boosted to D)

Noble Phantasm: B (Fame boosted to B+)

Berserker of Blue

Master: Draco Malfoy

True Name: Sir Gawain (White Knight of the Round Table)

Birthday: Unknown

Height: 180cm

Weight: 78kg

Blood Type: Unknown

Place of Origin: England

Likes: King Arthur

Dislikes: Older Wife

Talents: Effective hit confirmation with the Holy Sword

Abilities:

Magic Resistance: C (Due to Berserker Container)

Riding: B

Mad Enhancement: E

Following Lancelot's actions of murdering his brothers, Gawain descends into anger and madness against the Knight of the Lake, irrationally barring Lancelot from aiding him and Artoria in the Battle of Camlann, resulting in both of their deaths. This manifest itself as an E Rank Mad Enhancement. When activated, Gawain is only slightly inhibited mentally due to his anger. However, he does not receive a boost in parameters from this ability. It merely grants him a resistance to pain.

Bercilak's Belt: EX

Bercilak's Belt grants Gawain protection from any attacks by bestial familiars or Phantasmal creatures. It negates attacks of Rank C or lower completely whereas it drastically reduces damage taken from attacks above Rank C. It also grants Gawain regenerative properties. When injured, Gawain is not inhibited from battling at his full capacity and will receive an increase in the strength and endurance parameter by 1 rank up to a limit of A+

Charisma: The Natural Knight: D

Gawain was a knight whom no one could object to due to his personal qualities both as an ally or opponent.

Numeral of the Saint: EX

During the three hours between 9am and midday, as well as the three hours between 3pm and sunset, Gawain's power increases threefold. It is believed that this is a condition unique to Gawain. This is related to the ancient belief that the numeral 3 was the sacred number of the Celtic Gods.

Noble Phantasms:

Excalibur Galatine: The Reborn Sword of Victory

Rank: A

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 1-5

Maximum number of targets: 1-2

Excalibur Galatine is the sister-sword of the more famous Excalibur. Instead of collecting lights from the Earth, it is said that Galatine is powered by the rays of the sun with a Pseudo-Sun contained in the hilt. The sword itself shows its greatest power at noon, capable of slicing through most protections with ease at its most powerful.

Excalibur Galatine: Fire and Fury of Sol

Rank: A++

Type: Anti-Army

Range: 100-200

Maximum number of targets: 750

The activated form of Galatine takes on a form of a broad wave radiation type attack which completely annihilates an enemy army with the brilliant holy light and heat it generates. To activate it, Gawain tosses it into the air where the pseudo-sun in the sword creates a miniature star before landing back into his grasp. While the star floats overhead, Gawain generates a large magic circle with a sun symbol in the center. Then, with a motion akin to drawing a sword, Gawain channels the energy of the miniature star into the sword and unleashes a slash of energy that erupts into a ball of flame upon contact with the enemy.

Gringolet: The Great Steed of the Knight

Rank: B

Type: Mount

Range: NIL

Maximum number of targets: NIL

Gringolet, the steed of Sir Gawain is famous for its ability in combat. It is able to charge enemies down, inflicting damage akin to a Rank B Noble Phantasm if it connects with an enemy.

Parameters of Sir Gawain:

Strength: B+

Endurance: B+

Agility: C

Mana: A

Luck: D

Noble Phantasm: A+


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello! Big sorry for the slow update. Life is full of distractions, and I confess I was very caught up in other things that have been happening. Thank you all for being patient with me. Hope you enjoy this new chapter!**

 **(As usual, do review!)**

It had become a familiar sight. The dazzling golden light that filled her vision as she woke up. This time, she seemed to be in the place where he had taken her to after freeing her from the Dursleys. It was vibrant as ever, with countless objects that radiated endless varieties of colour. What happened last night? All she could recall was various flashes of light and tranquillity as she listened to her stellar companions speak to her. There was something else though. She could remember her hair standing on end, her heart pumping with excitement. That feeling was intoxicating and it was so tempting for her to just lose herself in it, embracing it with all her might and letting go. It was not the first time she felt it, for when she conducted the ritual of discovery, a similar set of emotions took over her. Both times it had been interrupted by her losing consciousness. Now that it was gone, she longed to experience it once more.

He looked over at her, she had briefly stirred a few minutes ago, but now her breathing was once again steady and her body motionless. He was sure that her display last night had not gone unnoticed or undiscussed by the students and staff here. After all, who could ever forget the time the night sky turned into the bloody red of rupture.

He had personally never used that noble phantasm, never finding anyone worthy of it. He understood what it did though. It was a sword without equal, a weapon crystallized by the Gods as a tool of destruction that tore apart all creation, leaving nothing but itself to shine brilliantly in the end. Ea, the name he had chosen to give it, was something that was engraved in the genetic memories of every living being. Last night, he witnessed and felt the winds and light of the Star of Creation on the Quidditch field, as well as the shockwave that came afterwards. It was downright electrifying, to witness the ultimate phantasm being unleashed, albeit at a reduced level of power. He chuckled again, it would certainly be a treat to duel her again, once she had returned to her full potential, for she was truly his equal.

Sitting down beside her unconscious form, he lightly petted the crown of her head and stroked her luscious golden locks. She looked adorable sleeping, with her alluring lips lightly parted and a tiny bit of drool running down the side of her mouth as her body fell and rose slightly with every breath inhaled and exhaled. He missed this, looking upon his beautiful sleeping queen. Unable to resist the temptation, he laid down partially on the bend placing an arm around her small shoulders. Even after the ritual and food which he had fed her, she still felt too small. Once she was independent of her tormentors, they would suffer his wrath, every last one of them. The Golden King was distracted from his thoughts as he felt something soft snuggle against him. Her arms had somehow found their way around his waist, embracing him while her body gently pressed against his. She was lightly rubbing her face against the crook of his neck.

It made him feel as if he was in his pubescent years again. For the first time in millennia, the King of Heroes could feel heat rising in his cheeks. He may come off as exceptionally confident, even arrogant to most. But Enkidu, his Enkidu, always knew how to break down that kingly façade and turn him into a blushing boy. The first few months of their marriage were extremely awkward, with him hardly having any physical contact with her due to embarrassment. Having not seen her in eons, those feelings were returning in full force. However, there was something darker, even more compelling. It was the basest of human desires. She was so tempting, lying there defencelessly, with her warm breath tickling his neck and feminine form pressed against him.

He had to do something before he hurt her. The King of Heroes was not used to holding back his desires, for he was the one who ruled and took all the world's desires for himself. He did as he pleased for all his life. Until he met her. She taught him restraint, temperance and patience along with all their benefits. And he would need to summon up all of her teachings and his willpower to avoid doing regrettable things to the one he loved. Extricating himself from the embrace that only seemed to become tighter the more he tried to leave it, he placed a parting kiss on her lips before leaving the room. A smile graced her face, making him even more reluctant to leave her, but the staff were almost certainly searching for her now and he needed to head them off before her rest was disturbed.

~The Greatest Grail War~

The crater that now scarred the Quidditch pitch aroused much interest amongst the student population of Hogwarts, with rumours ranging from tales not too greatly removed from the truth to ludicrous stories circulating in the Great Hall. The Fourth Years of the Faculty of Celestial Bodies had plenty to say. Some mentioned the howling gale that blew across the field last night, others spoke of the memorable display of lights. However, all the rumours had one aspect to them that remained the same, Iris Potter. Someone whom most had believed was inept at magic had produced a harrowing show of magical might the previous night. It was an impossibility to many of the youths seating in the Great Hall.

"Say, what do you think of it. Cho? Is it an illusion?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Cedric. I personally think it is real. Did you feel a tingling sensation throughout your body when the final flare was discharged? I do not think that any illusion can cause that."

"Yea, probably not. Speaking about last night's events, apparently it has drawn the interest of many older families. Father said that many of them were asking their sons and daughters to keep an eye out for any more abnormalities coming from the younger Potter. The Potters are traditionally a Pure Elementalist rich family, with a majority of Potter mages being affiliated with the fire magic. It is extraordinarily rare for a family member to have a Manifest vastly different from that of his or her family. When there are cases like this, the wizard or witch is usually weak in terms of practical magic due to incompatibility. Hence, Iris's case drew a lot of attention when news of it spread. Many are very interested in her potential, some even insinuate that Iris is not a true Potter, but a child from another family."

"I see. Have you talked to Sir Lancelot regarding the other abnormality we saw last night? The flower that bloomed against the flares of light?"

"Yes, Lancelot mentioned that it was most definitely the noble phantasm of a servant. He had heard tales of it during his travel to France, of an ancient warrior of the east wielding an indomitable shield which had never been pierced. However, upon further questioning of the identity of the warrior, none of the people who told the tale could agree upon which nation the warrior had originated from. Nor could they agree upon his name."

"What do you think? Is the servant powerful enough to be an eventual threat?"

"Personally, yes, but this will only affect us if he gets through the initial stage of the Grail War unharmed. What worries me more is something else Lancelot mentioned."

"What else did he say?"

"He told me that he had recently been sensing an overbearing presence in the campus. Yet, he has never been able to see the origin of the presence itself. His guess was that it was a servant. But it certainly is not any of the 7 that had been summoned by the Hogwarts faction. The question is then, who is the master of this servant and how did a servant master pair that is not part of the Hogwarts faction sneak into the school grounds."

"Be careful Cedric, these occurrences are usually not coincidences, I don't want to lose you to the Grail War."

"Don't worry Cho, I will take care of myself."

At the Head table, the elderly Headmaster and Headmistress were also pondering the events that had transpired the previous night. If the rumors were true, then the situation may be worse than they imagined. Not only did the younger Potter have an extremely powerful entity, possibly a servant, protecting her, she herself was also immensely strong. It would be very difficult to execute the strategy the Order of the Phoenix had come up with during the summer due to these new factors. They would have to proceed with caution, or risk incurring the wrath of the golden-haired man.

The ancient wizard in particular was worried. It was far too late to turn back. He knew of the mistakes he had made in the past when dealing with the younger Potter. He could not bear to witness the consequences of those errors anymore. Hence, as a form of closure both to her, her family and himself, he had devised the Holy Grail War to release her from the shackles of fate as quickly and as painlessly as possible. It was not just for them though, it was for the good of everyone. He had once caused the death of thousands due to his inaction and his guilt. Not this time though. So why?! Why did these obstacles which had never shown themselves before crop up now?! Did the Heavens not approve of his actions? Were they fine with letting many more die due to this loose end?

Dumbledore was no fool. After the confrontation within his office, he had looked into the possible identities of the man that had bested him utterly. From the destructive power and reaction time of the man, he deemed that the man had to be some sort of magical entity, most likely a servant given the current circumstances. But how? How did Iris Potter summon a servant? The Grail was only supposed to call forth 21 servants, 7 for each faction. So how did the 22nd servant appear? These questions were quickly deemed irrelevant and brushed aside. Finding out the identity of the servant was much more important.

So far, judging by the physical traits of the servant, the Headmaster had narrowed the servant's identity to a few plausible options. He believed the Servant to be either Ozymandias, the Great Pharaoh of the New Kingdom, Cyrus, the great Persian King or Moctezuma I, the Aztec Emperor. All of these great rulers were associated with a towering physique and an aura of invincibility which the man had emanated. Furthermore, the runic inscriptions on his amour ruled out any possibility of him being a European or East Asian hero. However, he could not help but feel as if he was missing something. Ozymandias, great as he was, was never associated with golden chains. Moctezuma, wealthy as he was, hoarded gold and precious gemstones, not weapons. Whereas Cyrus was a dignified, humble and righteous man, lacking in the arrogance and confidence the man possessed.

Even more disturbing was the man likening the chains to Iris. What did the chains have to do with the younger Potter? Were they connected somehow? He would need to ask Sinistra about Iris later, to find out more about the unique education she was receiving, as well as the possible links that he was missing. Once he had assembled the necessary information, he would solve the mystery surrounding the man and Iris.

Or so he thought until last night. He had just returned from a day trip to the Ministry to finish off some administrative matters dealing with the Wizengamot. He would never forget what he saw. Even from afar, the titanic storm that brewed above Hogwarts was clearly visible. Heart racing, he horridly flooed from Hogsmeade into his office. Rushing out of the castle gates, wand in hand, he was ready to confront whatever had produced that frighteningly intense magical storm. However, by the time he reached the Quidditch pitch, the intense discharge of magical energy had already subsided. All that was left were a group of students huddled and shaking at one end of the pitch, as well as an enormous crater at the other end.

After questioning the professor in charge on the events that had occurred, he learnt that the younger Potter had performed a ritual designed to have the same effect as the Manifest revealing charm. After requesting for and viewing the memories of the Professor, Dumbledore was shellshocked. He had never been aware of this potential that existed within Iris. Even though there were some cases of abnormalities that plagued the first few years of her life, he believed it to be nothing other than rare incidents that would vanish as she grew, especially after he had placed the bindings on her.

When she was first placed in the Faculty of Celestial Bodies, he was secretly glad due to the association of poor aptitude for magic with unusual Magical Manifests. But the happenings of the previous night proved him all wrong.

All these new factors threw wrenches into his strategy, and he had better come up with a solution quickly. The fate of the British Wizarding community rests on his actions for the next few days.

~The Greatest Grail War~

Professor Sinistra was worried. Her student had not shown up for any of the courses for today. Knowing her hardworking tendencies, this was certainly cause for alarm. Had something happened to her since last night? Her dormmates mentioned that they had not seen her come back to the dormitories and that her bed was empty. Her pace sped up as her mind raced, thinking of one horrible scenario after another that could have transpired. Absorbed by her thoughts, she did not notice another figure walking in the opposite direction and promptly collided with him.

"Ah, Sinistra, I was just looking for you. Would you mind sitting down and having a cup of tea with me? I have some questions on my mind that I wish to ask you."

"Headmaster, pardon me for my brusqueness, but one of my students has been missing since last night. I need to ensure that she is still safe."

"Does that student happen to be Miss Potter?"

"How did you…"

Dumbledore held up a hand. "A tale for another time. I have already checked; Miss Potter is still within castle grounds and very much alive. However, I am unable to pinpoint her exact location. If you're still worried, I can send out a message, asking for the portraits in the school to keep a lookout for her. But for now, I wish for you to accompany me to my office."

After a moment of hesitation, the professor agreed, following the Headmaster back to his office.

"It is a coincidence that the topic I wish to discuss with you today is Miss Potter's education in the school."

"Why now Headmaster? You haven't shown any interest in the past 3 years." Hearing the Headmaster suddenly question about Iris's situation ignited a burst of indignation and frustration within her.

"I believe that it is in the best interests of us all that we understand what is going on with Miss Potter. I promise that I will reveal the reason to all once this year is over."

"You never cared when she entered the school looking like a broken doll. You never cared when she struggled to find her way around school, groping around with no one to help her. You never cared when her fellow faculty members would deliberately make things even harder for her. You never cared when she stood atop the Astronomy tower, ready to end it all by her own hands. You never cared at all, you vile and sorry excuse for a headmaster. Even now, you still have the gall to ask me about her situation. I'm sorry Headmaster, I will not reveal anything to you about her. You do not deserve to know."

"Sinistra, listen to me. I understand that I have not acted in Miss Potter's interest for the last few years. But I wish to do so starting now."

"No… no… You are not acting in her interest at all. You are just saying so because it is a convenient excuse to use to question me, especially after what happened last night."

"Sinistra, please. This is for Iris too. Is it so hard to believe that I am concerned over a student's wellbeing in Hogwarts?"

"You're right Albus, I want to believe that you care about a student from your school. But the past few years have proved that notion wrong, over and over. Did you ever find out about what happened to Iris on a day to day basis? Sometimes, even I wish that I did not save her that night. I could see why she tried to end her life. She had nothing to live for. She was already past the stage of despair. Back then, you did not even bat an eye. Now that she looks the healthiest she has been for years, you suddenly become interested in her case. Pardon me Headmaster, but something is not right here. I will not cooperate with you unless you tell me what has been happening."

"Sinistra… I… will tell you eventually. The information the Potter family and I myself hold is too dangerous to be leaked."

"Then I am afraid that we are at an impasse, Headmaster." Turning around, she briskly walked out of the office. She needed to find the younger Potter, before the Headmaster got to her. Swiftly, she headed towards the faculty dormitories, determined to find Iris. Soon, she reached the door of her dormitory. Pushing the handle down with deliberate force, she opened the door and walked in. However, just as she was about to take a step nearer to Iris's bed, a hand gripped her shoulder.

"Where do you think you are going?" The voice was cold and filled with suspicion, causing a shiver to run down her spine. Turning around in trepidation, her own onyx orbs met with blood red gemstones that glinted mercilessly at her, as if demanding her submission and immediate retreat from the room. She immediately dropped her gaze, something told her that it would be immensely unwise to continue holding his gaze of authority. However, despite her mind frantically warning her not to do so, the words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"Who… are you?"

The man dressed in a simple shirt and pants whilst adorning a golden necklace stayed silent for a few seconds. His gaze swept all across her body, before coming to rest on her eyes once more. It was distinctively uncomfortable for the professor. She felt as if she was being dissected, being finely taken apart for him to scrutinize every thought, every memory that she had within her mind. Was she under a legilimancy attack? No, this was something different, something far more potent. It was the imperial authority of a ruler, forcing his subjects to lay bare their hearts in front of him. Her instincts screamed at her to run away, yet she remained rooted to the ground. Then, his expression softened and he spoke.

"You do not recognize your king? That itself is punishable by death. Consider yourself lucky, subject, for I recognize you from her dreams. You, the one who allowed your king to see his beloved once more. You shall be rewarded for your actions. Now, what are you here for?"

He did not seem to mean harm to her. Gathering every scrap of remaining bravery, she had within herself, she looked at him once more in the eye and asked.

"Do you know where Iris is?"

"Do not worry, she is safe with me. If anyone who wishes to do her harm approaches, rest assured that I will deal with them most severely."

"How can I trust you? I don't even recognize you amongst the parents, staff or students of this school. For all I know, you may have kidnapped her or done something worse."

She immediately recognized her faux pas as his gaze reverted to an intensely hostile one.

"Watch your mouth, mongrel. My patience and tolerance of you will not last forever if you continue spouting nonsense. How can I ever harm her? I, who have known her for eons longer than you. For now, I shall assume your slander to be due to ignorance and hence, it is my duty to educate you on who "Iris" truly is."

Sinistra swallowed, its not as if she had any choice now, she might as well find out the truth behind this man. He did not seem to be lying, or rather, he did not seem to have a reason for lying.

"Come, follow me and be grateful for the view that is about to grace your eyes." A massive golden portal opened up and enveloped the two of them, engulfing the professor's field of vision with a flash that caused her to shut her eyes immediately. When she opened them again, she gaped as she witnessed neat stacks upon stacks of treasures, weapons, gemstones, gold, all imbued with magic were on display. She turned her gaze around in wonder as she began following the man down a path laid with golden bars. Soon, they reached a small room, which contained furniture made from the finest materials that can be found throughout the world. On the bed was a small figure.

It was Iris! She was comfortably tucked in, gently breathing as she slept. A huge wave of relief washed over the professor as she realised that her student was alive and well taken care of.

"Convinced that I am adequate to take care of her now?" Came a mocking voice from behind. She nodded her head silently in consent, shame and guilt overwhelming her for some reason.

"Now, tell me, woman, do you know of the time when the world was one, ruled by a singular King, when the Gods have yet to relinquish their hold on the world?"

"A single… king…?" Despite her extensive knowledge of history, both magical and non-magical, she was at a loss at when the world was ruled by one King. There had been rulers who came close to world domination, like Alexander, Darius, Genghis Khan, Queen Victoria, but they never achieved it. Who could this man be? He mentioned that during his time, the Gods still played a major role in shaping the world. That implies that he is from one of the cradles of civilization. Could it be?

All of a sudden, images began flashing in her mind. A piece of writing she had come across while looking for suitable material to tutor Iris with. It was an obscure tale, one that told of heroic deeds from a time long past. It spoke of how the hero triumphed, then lost, struggled and finally found peace. It was humanity's oldest record of heroism.

The Epic of Gilgamesh.

The Great King who ruled over everything in existence and collected all of the world's treasures. The ruler who had brought humanity into a new age by rejecting the Gods.

"Yes, I am indeed Gilgamesh. Although that piece of writing you have read is highly inaccurate and should have never been passed down to later generations, it does serve as a decent introduction to who I am. The one you know as Iris, is the reincarnation of my dearest, Enkidu."

"Iris? Enkidu? But… how is this possible?"

"There is no meaning in questioning the plausibility of such an occurrence. All that you need to understand is that should anyone cause harm to her, I will deal with them accordingly. Your past deeds do not exempt you from any punishment should you violate the laws which I have set after today. From now on, you are no longer needed. I shall take care of her myself, including all the aspects of her education."

Sinistra was about to protest, but her rationality took over and she meekly nodded in acceptance.

"Good, now begone, and tell no one of what I said."

With the parting sentence, Sinistra found herself transported back into the dormitory, the Oldest King and Iris no longer visible.

 _Remember, I will always be watching you. Any act of defiance will be punishable by death, mongrel._

~The Greatest Grail War~

The next few days passed by uneventfully for Iris. No one came looking for her anymore. Despite the initial surprise at Gilgamesh becoming her new tutor, she accepted him rather quickly, to her own surprise. He turned out to be more than qualified as a teacher, as she was still going through fairly basic forms of sorcery, ones that he himself had dabbled in in the past. Due to his superior understanding of the Ancient Mesopotamian script, as well as the forms of magic that were used back then, he was able to impart the knowledge of both theoretical concepts and practical methods of usage unto Iris at a high rate of efficiency.

She certainly did not mind learning at a faster pace. It was refreshing as she had not encountered any challenges in studying for such a long time. She used to be bored as she would be stuck at a particular topic whilst the Professor and other tutors struggled with translation and figuring out how this exotic branch of magic truly worked. Now, she was able to learn uninhibited by others, and frankly it was amazing. She was also able to discuss and understand the deeper concepts that worked behind magic within her world. From Gilgamesh, she heard tales of how the Gods bestowed magic upon the humans, as well as the epic wars between the different pantheons of Gods as they fought for dominance over certain geographical regions of the world.

Furthermore, she learnt that, beneath the surface of the Earth, there were countless magical leylines, constructed by the Gods themselves in order to tap into the magical potential of Gaia itself. These leylines converged at points known as nexus points. At these points, the entire environment will be filled with magic, ideal for a magical community, who often draw power from the ambient magic that surrounds them. Hogwarts and Hogsmeade for example, are built above one of these nexus points.

Aside from all of these, there was something else Iris was extremely interested in. The dreams that had visited her time and again, of Gilgamesh and someone else, named Enkidu. However, every time she would ask him about these dreams, he would brush the questions aside, telling her that he himself did not remember the happenings back then clearly anymore. Even through their non-verbal form of communication, she knew, somehow, that he was lying. It intrigued her even more, why would he do so anyway? Why did he of all people, feel the need to lie? However, the more she asked, the more he evaded the questions, eventually ignoring them outright in favor of conveying more knowledge to her and assigning her with more work to keep her occupied.

Time flew by, and soon, the week was drawing to a close.

 _Gilgamesh?_

 _Hmm? What is it?_

 _Bring me to the Astronomy Tower later today, on the side facing the lake, the other schools are arriving at Hogwarts during the afternoon._

 _Why do you wish to go? What if you are unable to see what is happening? Wouldn't that make the trip pointless?_

 _It's something I have never looked at before… If I am unable to see it, could you describe it to me? I've heard so many things about the other schools, and so I've always really wanted to get to know if those tales are true…_

A pang of pain shot through his chest as he saw a wistful look appear on her face, followed by another bout of anger. It was difficult to control himself whenever she would unconsciously remind him of what the others have done to her. It was unforgivable. He had tried to find a cure for her ailment in his treasury, but it appears as if humanity had not thought of any solution to a damaged visual cortex. She would never be able to witness the beauty of his garden, to look upon him in all his glory anymore. It was bittersweet, for her to be in such a condition.

No. He would not give up so easily. He would go to the ends of the world, if not transcend life and death once more to gain the cure. He would make her see again.

 _Gilgamesh? Can I go? Please?_

Her hopeful expression was all that was needed to convince him and he muttered his approval.

~The Greatest Grail War~

The journey to the top of the Astronomy Tower was a swift one and soon, Iris and Gilgamesh found themselves at the highest point of the school, looking down at the lake. Today was the date whereby the foreign delegates will arrive to participate in the Grail War, although the actual event does not begin until the weekend.

Gilgamesh looped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly to him. This place surely brought back horrible memories for her.

 _Gilgamesh, do you see anything?_

 _No, not yet. It appears that the guests are later than expected._

It took another quarter of an hour for anything notable to occur. The water of the surface of the lake rippled. A mast emerged from the waters, rising steadily until the silhouette of a massive galleon was visible, complete with its full set of riggings that proudly displayed the Durmstrang coats of arms.

 _Gilgamesh, what are they arriving in? I see a shape atop the lake, it's light blue in colour._

 _I believe that the humans of this age call this a ship._

 _Can you describe it to me?_

… _Alright…_

The massive ship moored itself to the pier near the northern face of the castle and laid down anchor. Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, huge winged horses tugged a carriage along in the sky gracefully, eventually landing in the courtyard within the castle. The majority of the Hogwarts student population seemed to have taken an interest in the arrival of the other schools and were crowding the various corridors and hallways near the parts of the castle where the ship has dropped anchor and the carriage has landed. Cheering and clapping resounded throughout the castle, growing even louder as students began stepping out onto the Hogwarts grounds from their respective magical vehicles.

~The Greatest Grail War~

The Welcoming Feast was a magnificent affair, with plates piled with scrumptious food, ready for the guests and students of Hogwarts to tuck in. The Great Hall was adorned with elaborate ornaments and decorations, looking grander than ever. Its ceiling no longer displayed the night sky. Instead, it had been converted to one similar to that of a great ballroom, with massive chandeliers hanging down and illuminating the Hall. All students and staff were expected to be in their best attire and behavior for the occasion. The students were told to take this historical gathering of schools very seriously in order to not embarrass Hogwarts and by extension, the British wizarding community through uncouth words or actions.,

The Hall remained silent aside from a few mutterings scattered here and there until the Headmaster received a notification from the caretaker. Soon after, the Headmaster rose from his seat.

"Hogwarts, please stand and welcome, the young ladies and gentlemen from the prestigious Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!"

The great oak doors of the Great Hall swung open, revealing scores of witches and wizards dressed in the traditionally sky-blue dress robes of Beauxbatons. They walked gracefully amidst the claps, each showing off a bit of their magical abilities. There were flashes of flame, jets of water instantly frozen into a beautiful arc of ice in midair, followed by two luminous streams of blue light racing towards the head table, flanking what looked like a soaring albatross, which promptly vanished in a gust of silvery wind as it reached the podium just in front of the Head table, revealing the towering form of the Beauxbatons Headmistress, Madame Maxime.

The remnants of the magic that had been cast were removed swiftly by the students as they gathered at the front of the Hall and bowed deeply.

"It is good to see you again, Albus."

"The same to you, Madame. Hogwarts welcomes you and your contingent." Dumbledore answered before kissing the back of the Headmistress's hands.

As the Beauxbatons students dispersed to join the various faculty tables they were assigned to, the Headmaster of Hogwarts returned to the podium.

"Now, let us welcome, our friends from the North, the students of Durmstrang Institute of Magic!"

This time, a gargantuan ice breathing dragon flew through the doors, followed by a group of smartly but simply dressed young men and women, marching in an orderly fashion across the aisle between the tables to the front of the Hall. Performing a series of well-rehearsed maneuvers, they cleared an area for the dragon, which was currently circling the Great Hall to land. As the dragon landed, it let out a fearsome roar that shook the tables and caused the windows of the Great Hall to rattle. The staff and students looked on in awe as two more men, one dressed in a snow-white coat, the other in what appeared to be the standard student clothing of Durmstrang. Once it caught sight of them, the dragon bellowed once more, before the man in the white coat waved his cane, causing the dragon to vanish in an icy gale that swept across the hall.

"Albus!"

"Igor."

The Headmasters greeted each other with open arms, embracing as though they were old friends with broad grins on their faces. Meanwhile, the students of Durmstrang have also joined the faculty tables allocated to them.

"Greetings to all our foreign delegates and guests, I shall not hold you all up for any longer. Tuck in, and enjoy the meal."

~The Greatest Grail War~

A few jets of green whizzed past his ear as he dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding what would have certainly been an unpleasant injury.

"Who is it that dares to fire upon his King?"

The King of Heroes turned his sight upon the direction of the Forbidden Forest, where the arrows had originated from. In an instant, his golden armor materialized, protecting him against any further attempt to attack him. It did not take long for a second volley of arrows to home directly towards him. The air around him shimmered and various golden portals appeared, each firing a weapon that collided with and caused the arrows to blow up in a mighty explosion. Before the smoke even cleared, the golden portals had begun firing weapon after weapon towards the forest, laying siege to the attacker's position.

"Come out, mongrel, and face your punishment."

The response from the other party was another shower of arrows. However, this time, they were aimed at the ground instead of him. The King of Heroes was puzzled for a brief moment, before monstrous roots and trunks began sprouting from the locations where the arrows had landed. These roots seemed to be sentient, and headed straight for him, clearly intent on rendering him a sitting duck by binding him. Although the golden portals immediately targeted these roots, they seemed to be immune to lower grade weaponry, causing most of the projectiles from the Gate of Babylon to simply bounce off.

Annoyed, the Golden King reached out within his treasury for an answer to this new tactic. Out came a single, fiery-red sword. It was said that this sword had once belonged to the Roman God of War, Mars. Later on, it was passed on to the scourge of civilization himself, Attila. The King of Heroes drew the sword and plunged it into the ground beneath, causing the grassland to instantly ignite in a blazing inferno, cleansing the surroundings of life, leaving only charred remains of the beings that once populated the area.

The magically enhanced roots were not about to give up. They were protected by ancient Druid magic, which was even further enhanced by the presence of the nexus point beneath Hogwarts. Time and again, they tried to enter the area which had been affected by the Sword of Mars. However, each time they did, the protections that were gifted to them were demolished immediately by the blazing flames, causing them to be instantaneously consumed by the hellfire that raged within the area. The King of Heroes wasted no time and swiftly torched the remainder of the roots with the Sword.

Whilst he did so, hails of arrows descended upon him, answered instantly with an equally intense barrage from the Gate of Babylon. Once the final remaining roots had been vanquished, the King was ready to go on the offensive. The golden portals turned to face the forest and unleashed a hellish bombardment on the area, levelling and destroying the forest that once stood there. Gilgamesh smirked as he spotted a slim figure attempt to slip away into the deeper parts of the forest, where he would be hidden again. The shower of golden projectiles intensified, cutting off any escape route that the other servant could take. The King of Heroes strode confidently towards the forest, sure that his opponent was trapped.

The battlefield suddenly grew silent. No more arrows were fired and conversely, no returning projectiles from the Gate of Babylon were launched. Something was not quite right. A sudden vision flashed in the Golden King's mind. The next set of arrows would come from the North, instead of the East, where he was headed right now. But how? Gilgamesh had not experienced this form of vision since he was a child. But he knew to trust it, for it was an extension of his own mentality. Reopening his portals to face the North, he opened fire on the forests there. Sure enough, the arrows that were already on their way towards him were intercepted in mid-air, resulting in dazzling iridescent bursts of light that lit up the night sky.

Another vision came, and warned him of the tendrils that were stealthily advancing on him from the back. The previous attack was clearly a diversionary attack, possibly a noble phantasm that allowed for the other servant to be in multiple places at once. Drawing the Sword of Mars once more, the King of Heroes set the grassland ablaze once more. The resulting conflagration caused a flaming vortex to form due to the rapidly rising, superheated air, resulting in a pillar of flame that rose towards the heavens. It scoured the landscape, consuming all before it, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Not a single plant, magical root, or animal was spared.

Frustratingly, his opponent had concealed his identity extremely well, so well that the King of Heroes knew for certain it was a either an innate ability or trait the hero possessed, or a noble phantasm that hid one's identity. By the time all the new roots that had sprouted had been dealt with, his opponent had already vanished. The King of Heroes could not longer sense his opponent's presence. Grudgingly, he had to admit that this was a well-orchestrated attack that would have succeeded on many lesser beings. His opponent certainly knew how to maximize his advantages. A smirk found its way onto his face. If this was the standard of all the servants participating in the Grail War, then he would certainly be able to find entertainment in the Grail War.

~The Greatest Grail War~

"Now that we have all filled ourselves, I shall be making announcements for the coming year." The Headmaster of Hogwarts was at the podium once more as the food on the tables vanished.

"As all of you know already, Hogwarts will be hosting the inaugural Holy Grail War this year. The Holy Grail War is a prestigious event usually held by the International Confederation of Wizards in a chosen city. However, this time, it has come to our school. This Grail War will be of a scale never seen before, with 21 masters from 3 different schools participating. Each of these masters have already summoned their servants, who are usually famous figures from either history or mythology that will fight alongside them for the coveted Holy Grail.

In the initial stage of this Holy Grail War, it will be a team competition, with the 3 factions seeking to eliminate each other from the competition. Then, once only masters of a singular faction remain, they will be pitted against each other until there is only 1 master left. This master shall receive a chance to have a wish granted by the Holy Grail. Safety precautions have already been put in place to prevent any unfortunate accidents from happening and to ensure that this Holy Grail War remains a healthy form of competition between the three schools.

The actual Grail War will begin on Sunday and last for an entire 9 months. The venue of the Holy Grail War will be a 100-mile radius surrounding Hogsmeade. For students wishing to watch the Grail War unfold, the school has provided magical mirrors which will broadcast the events of the Grail War in designated classrooms and all common rooms. Wizarding radio will also provide updates on the Grail War every night after dinner time. Hence, please do not go out of your way to look for the participants of the Grail War when the even is underway. The school will not be responsible for any injury incurred due to irresponsible actions of individuals.

Finally, for students not participating in the Grail War, you will have an opportunity to participate in various academic related events, such as the Magical Fair next April, as well as academical competitions of both theoretical and practical nature held within the school for the next year. If you wish to apply for these events as a participant, you can approach any of the staff and request for a form. Fill in the form and pass it to the staff to register yourself.

Before I forget, do know that the Yule Ball will indeed be taking place this year for 4th Years and above, although younger students may also participate if asked by a student of 4th Year and above. So, for those wishing to take part in this traditional celebration, do purchase the appropriate attire and learn the appropriate dances and manners.

Thank you all, and may all of us have a fulfilling and eventful year ahead."

~The Greatest Grail War~

Done! Hopefully you enjoyed this very delayed chapter. Once again, apologies for the slow updating. Chapter 6 will begin the Grail War proper and we get to see the plot unravel. For those confused about the history of the world this story is set in, worry not, there will be plenty of hints and explanations in the coming chapters.

A lot of people seem to have an issue with the inconsistency of the timing of Merlin's life and the founding of Hogwarts. Canonically, Hogwarts was established around the 10th century C.E., whereas Merlin was a major part of Arthurian Legend, which is set around the late 5th and early 6th centuries. Therefore, it can be seen that the lore of JK Rowling's Harry Potter series is fundamentally flawed in this aspect as well. Hence, I have sought to "fix" this issue by moving the founding date of Hogwarts forward to the 6th century. And Merlin attending Hogwarts as a student is not really a plot device, its actually canon Harry Potter. He was in fact, a Slytherin according to the Harry Potter wikia.

From now on, I will be revealing the Servants of Black, or the Beauxbatons servants, starting off with Saber and Lancer. The Hogwarts servants were overwhelmingly British. Now, there will be some diversity, with various famous French historical figures filling the ranks of the Beauxbatons faction. Once again, if the servants seem overpowered, just remember it is intended.

Saber of Black

Master: Fleur Delacour

True Name: Karl Karling (Father of Modern Europe)

Gender: Male

Birthday: 2nd April 742

Height: 183 cm

Weight: 74kg

Blood type: Unknown

Place of Origin: Aachen, Germany

Likes: Drinking, Being with his paladins

Dislikes: The responsibilities of ruling, Saracens

Talents: Acquiring titles and fame

Abilities:

Magic Resistance: A

Due to his devout nature when alive, Charlemagne possesses a strong defense against all forms of magecraft and is immune to even High-Thaumaturgy. Modern mages are completely helpless against such servants.

Charisma: B+

Charisma at B Rank is sufficient for a King or a Queen to rule a country. Charlemagne receives a boost since his kingdom was the greatest of his time and due to his identity as the Augustus.

Riding: B

Origin: The Ancestor of Europe: A+

This ability, a testament to Charlemagne's rule and coronation as the Holy Roman Emperor as well as the name "Father of Europe", allows Charlemagne to gain a massive boost in power (an increase by 2 in the strength, endurance and agility up to a limit of A+) when battling anywhere within Western Europe. This effect is strengthened even more if battling in either France or Germany.

Imperial Privilege: A

This ability allows Charlemagne to temporarily manifest abilities that are essentially impossible to possess due to his status as a widely recognized emperor of Europe. For Charlemagne, the relevant skills are Swordsmanship, Charisma, Fine Arts, Divine Protection as well as Military Tactics. There are some others that are not named, nor known, even by Charlemagne himself.

Noble Phantasms:

Joyeuse: The Sword of the Most August

Rank: A+

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 1-5

Maximum number of targets: 1-2

Joyeuse, the sword attributed to Charlemagne. It was a beautiful sword that radiated light of all spectrums and colors. The sword itself has gained divine attributes throughout the centuries as tales that it was forged to contain the pommel of the Lance of Longinus arose, as well as Charlemagne using it to combat Saracens not faithful to the true God. Hence, the sword has reached a level whereby it cannot be considered simply a human construct anymore, it was on par with several divine constructs. When wielded in combat, it grants the wielder Rank B Divine Protection. The sword itself also has the ability to phase through armor. It cannot be stopped, unless the opponent invokes a conceptual weapon that counteracts the effects of this sword.

Joyeuse Ordre: Exemplify the Heroic King, O' Twelve Radiant Swords That Travels the Wide World

Rank: A++

Type: Anti-Army

Range: 100-200

Maximum number of targets: 2000

The Famed Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne sublimated into a Noble Phantasm. It is activated through the sword Joyeuse. Charlemagne raises his sword and calls upon his fellow paladins to gather. In the sky above him, 12 famed weapons, including Astolfo's magical lance, as well as Roland's Durandal manifest as Broken Phantasms that are alight with magical energy. Charlemagne then targets the swords at the enemy, causing the 12 weapons to slam into the enemy at speeds far greater than sound, exploding in a brilliant flash of magical energy and enveloping the enemy in a ball of destruction.

Imperium: Renovatio Imperii Romani

Rank: A+

Type: Anti-Army

Range: 200

Maximum number of targets: 1000

This Noble Phantasm is tribute to Charlemagne's role as the Holy Roman Emperor. He was deemed the successor to the mighty Roman Empire. When used, the noble phantasm generates a Reality Marble, an alternate dimension created in the image of a vast field, where Charlemagne's 12 paladins stand. Essentially, this Noble Phantasm manifests Charlemagne's 12 paladins as D Rank servants with decreased parameters. They are granted their main Noble Phantasm. Within the Reality Marble, Charlemagne and his Allies gain a boost in their Luck and Endurance parameters by 1 Rank, up to a rank of A+.

Parameters of Charlemagne:

Strength: B

Endurance: B

Agility: B

Mana: B

Luck: A+

Noble Phantasm: A++

Lancer of Black

Master:

True Name: Jeanne d'Arc (Saint of Orleans)

Gender: Female

Birthday: Unknown

Height: 159cm

Weight: 44kg

Blood type: Unknown

Place of Origin: Domremy, France

Likes: Prayer

Dislikes: General Studies

Talents: Flag waving

Abilities:

Magic Resistance: EX

Jeanne displays incredible levels of Magic Resistance due to her unwavering piety and faith in God. Her magic resistance is not so much mitigating the damage that magecraft causes, but more of averting the damage itself by making it impossible for magecraft to target or hit her.

Military Tactics: B

She turned the tide of the 100 years' war against England, be it by pure luck or divine intervention, the armies which she led were incredibly strong and almost undefeated in battle.

Charisma: C

Jeanne's figure participating in the assaults while hoisting a flag raised the morale of the soldiers to the limit and united the troops. Thanks to her Charisma, it is possible to make others believe in the contents of her "Revelations" without basis.

Revelation: A

Revelation is a skill to "hear the voice of the heavens" and take optimum action. It accommodates all matters related to the achievement of a goal. It is a skill held by the soul of the user.

Saint: B

Saint indicates being acknowledged as a saint. It allows for 2 parameters to be raised by 1 Rank when summoned, as well as regenerative properties if injured.

Noble Phantasms:

Luminosite Eternelle: The Banner of the Almighty

Rank: A

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 1-10

Maximum number of targets: 1-2

The Battle Standard of Jeanne d'Arc, the holy flag which she kept by her side all her life. It is used by her to attack in battle. It is her main weapon, and in addition to its powers as a weapon, it inspires and lifts the morale of anyone fighting alongside her. It is the crystallization of the legend of Jeanne d'Arc waving her flag on the battlefield on the battlefield and fighting alongside her forces.

Luminosite Eternelle: God is With Me

Rank: A++

Type: Barrier

Range: 10-100

Maximum number of targets: Unknown

Jeanne d'Arc can activate the ability of her Holy Banner. This causes her EX in magical resistance to be converted into protection against all harm both physical and spiritual. It brings about a light that completely isolates anyone within it and cuts them off from the surroundings. The downside to this ability is that the damage accumulates within the flag, causing it to begin to tear as she uses it.

Sword of St. Catherine:

Rank: C

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 1-5

Maximum number of targets: 1-2

The sword which was wielded by Jeanne d'Arc in her lifetime. However, it was never once used in battle. The Sword of St. Catherine is especially effective against heroes who believed in a religion other than any form of Christianity. It is also effective against heroes who have either the "devil" or "demonic" trait. (i.e. Fate Grand/Order Nobunaga)

La Pucelle: The Crimson Holy Virgin

Rank: EX

Type: Suicide

Range: NIL

Maximum number of targets: NIL

The Sword of St. Catherine can be used as a catalyst to activate Jeanne's final Noble Phantasm, La Pucelle. This summons the flames which once burned her to death. This grants her a level of destructive power immeasurable by numbers, capable of destroying anything in order to save something, in exchange for her life.

Parameters of Jeanne d'Arc

Strength: C

Endurance: B

Agility: B

Mana: A

Luck: E

Noble Phantasm: A++


End file.
